Peter Hegemann

This study investigates the structural basis of near-infrared absorption and noncanonical photoisomerization in neorhodopsin using crystallographic, spectroscopic, and theoretical methods.

The paper identifies and characterizes far-red-sensitive opsins in mantis shrimp eyes, revealing their spectral tuning mechanisms and photoreversibility.

This paper demonstrates that illumination, specifically blue light, enhances astaxanthin production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii through phototropin-modulated biosynthetic gene clusters without genetic modification.

The paper identifies a blue light signaling pathway in green algae that inhibits starch accumulation via PMSK1 dephosphorylation and GAP1 repression.

This study uses time-resolved crystallography and MD simulations to reveal structural changes in C1C2 channelrhodopsin during activation, showing how conformational shifts enable ion conduction.

This paper introduces an optogenetic voltage-clamp technique for precise control of cellular voltage in live animals, demonstrating its application in C. elegans and rat neurons.

The paper identifies a highly potassium-selective channelrhodopsin (WiChR) that enables efficient neuronal inhibition through two-photon optogenetics under low-light conditions.

The paper introduces Aion, a bistable anion-conducting channelrhodopsin with a long open state and precise light-switchable control, enabling extended neuronal silencing in Drosophila.

BiPOLES is an optogenetic tool that allows bidirectional control of neuronal activity using two different light colors, enabling both excitation and inhibition of the same neurons in a single experiment.

The paper engineers anion-conducting channelrhodopsins with tunable spectra and kinetics for optogenetic control of behavior.