Glowing green SuperNova flowers blooming inside a cell.

Light Up Your Research: The Rise of Photosensitizing Fluorescent Proteins in Cell Biology

Mira Elwood in Science & Nature August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock the secrets of cellular processes with innovative light-activated proteins. Could this be the future of targeted therapies?"

Imagine being able to switch off a protein's function with the flick of a light. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, it's becoming a reality thanks to the development of photosensitizing fluorescent proteins (PSFPs). These remarkable tools are revolutionizing how scientists study cells, offering a level of control previously unimaginable.

Traditional methods for studying protein function, like gene knockouts and RNA interference, have limitations. They can't be easily applied to essential genes or provide the real-time precision needed to dissect complex cellular pathways. PSFPs offer a solution by allowing researchers to inactivate specific proteins at precise times and locations using light.

One exciting development in this field is SuperNova Green (SNG), a new addition to the PSFP toolbox. SNG, derived from its red predecessor SuperNova, can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon blue light irradiation, leading to targeted protein inactivation and cell ablation.

What is SuperNova Green and How Does It Work?

Glowing green SuperNova flowers blooming inside a cell.

SuperNova Green is a green monomeric photosensitizing fluorescent protein. When exposed to blue light, it produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily superoxide and its derivatives. Unlike some other photosensitizers, SNG's phototoxicity isn't dependent on the presence of flavin mononucleotide (FMN), making it more reliable in various cellular environments.

The magic of SNG lies in its ability to be controlled with light. By shining blue light on cells expressing SNG, researchers can trigger the production of ROS in a highly localized area. This allows them to selectively inactivate proteins or even ablate entire cells with remarkable precision.

Targeted Protein Inactivation: SNG can be fused to specific proteins, allowing researchers to disrupt their function on demand.
Cell Ablation: SNG can be used to selectively kill cells, offering a powerful tool for studying development and disease.
Spatio-Temporal Control: Light activation provides precise control over when and where SNG exerts its effects.
Multi-Color Experiments: SNG can be used in combination with other PSFPs, like SuperNova Red, for even more complex experiments.

Researchers demonstrated the power of SNG by using it to inactivate the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of phospholipase C-δ1, a protein involved in cell signaling. They also showed that SNG could effectively ablate cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, SNG can be used alongside its red variant, SuperNova, to independently control protein inactivation or cell ablation studies using selective light irradiation. This opens doors for sophisticated experiments involving multi-spatiotemporal control.

The Future is Bright for Photosensitizing Proteins

The development of SuperNova Green is a significant step forward in the field of optogenetics. By expanding the color palette of PSFPs, researchers can now exert even more refined control over cellular processes. These tools hold immense potential for unraveling the complexities of cell biology and developing new therapies for a wide range of diseases. Imagine a future where we can precisely target and eliminate cancer cells with light, or repair damaged tissues by stimulating specific cellular pathways. With photosensitizing fluorescent proteins like SuperNova Green, that future may be closer than we think.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1186/s12915-018-0514-7, Alternate LINK

Title: Green Monomeric Photosensitizing Fluorescent Protein For Photo-Inducible Protein Inactivation And Cell Ablation

Subject: Cell Biology

Journal: BMC Biology

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Yemima Dani Riani, Tomoki Matsuda, Kiwamu Takemoto, Takeharu Nagai

Published: 2018-04-30

Everything You Need To Know

What is SuperNova Green, and how does it generate targeted effects within cells?

SuperNova Green (SNG) is a green, monomeric photosensitizing fluorescent protein that, when exposed to blue light, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily superoxide and its derivatives. Unlike some other photosensitizers, its phototoxicity doesn't depend on flavin mononucleotide (FMN), making it more reliable in varied cellular environments. This allows researchers to selectively inactivate specific proteins or even ablate entire cells with remarkable precision using light.

What are the primary applications of SuperNova Green in cell biology research?

SuperNova Green can be used for targeted protein inactivation by fusing it to specific proteins, disrupting their function on demand. It also facilitates cell ablation, selectively killing cells to study development and disease. Furthermore, it offers spatio-temporal control through light activation and can be combined with other PSFPs like SuperNova Red for complex multi-color experiments, providing refined control over cellular processes.

How does SuperNova Green improve upon traditional methods for studying protein function?

Traditional methods like gene knockouts and RNA interference have limitations because they can't be easily applied to essential genes or provide the real-time precision needed to dissect complex cellular pathways. Photosensitizing Fluorescent Proteins, like SuperNova Green, overcomes these limitations by enabling researchers to inactivate specific proteins at precise times and locations using light, offering better control and precision.

In what ways does SuperNova Green's development advance the field of optogenetics and cellular control?

Optogenetics is advanced by expanding the color palette of photosensitizing fluorescent proteins, which enables researchers to exert more refined control over cellular processes. The ability to independently control protein inactivation or cell ablation using selective light irradiation, as demonstrated with SuperNova Green and SuperNova, opens doors for sophisticated experiments involving multi-spatiotemporal control. This development holds immense potential for unraveling the complexities of cell biology.

How does SuperNova Green utilize reactive oxygen species (ROS) to achieve protein inactivation and cell ablation?

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by SuperNova Green upon irradiation with blue light, leading to targeted protein inactivation and cell ablation. The ROS generated are primarily superoxide and its derivatives. This process allows researchers to precisely control when and where proteins are inactivated or cells are ablated, offering a high degree of spatial and temporal resolution in cellular studies. The ROS production is a key mechanism by which SuperNova Green exerts its effects.