By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
World of SoftwareWorld of SoftwareWorld of Software
  • News
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gaming
  • Videos
  • More
    • Gadget
    • Web Stories
    • Trending
    • Press Release
Search
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
Reading: Switching on: Can Arctic microbes revolutionize neuroscience?
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
World of SoftwareWorld of Software
Font ResizerAa
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gadget
  • Gaming
  • Videos
Search
  • News
  • Software
  • Mobile
  • Computing
  • Gaming
  • Videos
  • More
    • Gadget
    • Web Stories
    • Trending
    • Press Release
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
World of Software > News > Switching on: Can Arctic microbes revolutionize neuroscience?
News

Switching on: Can Arctic microbes revolutionize neuroscience?

News Room
Last updated: 2025/07/06 at 3:58 PM
News Room Published 6 July 2025
Share
SHARE

Blue light source. — Image by © Tim Sandle.

Rare blue proteins from coldadapted microbes can serve as prototypes to design molecular onoff switches for cells, according to a new study from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

In the frozen reaches of our planet, the glaciers, mountaintops, and icy groundwater, significant research has been taking place. As an example of one research stream, scientists have uncovered strange lightsensitive molecules in tiny microbes. These “cryorhodopsins” can respond to light in ways that might let researchers turn brain cells on and off like switches.

Rhodopsins (visual purple, is a protein encoded by the RHO gene) have already been modified to serve as lightoperated switches for electrical activity in cells. This technique, called optogenetics, is used by neuroscientists to selectively control neuronal activity during experiments. Rhodopsins with other abilities, such as enzymatic activity, could be used to control chemical reactions with light, for example.

Glowing under UV

Amici direct vision prism. Image by DKuru. CC BYSA 3.0

Microbial rhodopsins are omnipresent on Earth, however the vast majority of them remain uncharacterized.

Some of these molecules can glow blue, a rare and useful trait for medical applications. Hence, the molecules may help the microbes sense dangerous ultraviolet (UV) light in extreme environments.

The latest development has come from a structural biologist called Kirill Kovalev. While browsing online protein databases, Kovalev spotted an unusual feature common to microbial rhodopsins found exclusively in very cold environments, such as glaciers and high mountains.

Kovalev spotted an unusual feature common to microbial rhodopsins found exclusively in very cold environments (from genera like Cryobacterium and Subtercola). These coldclimate rhodopsins were almost identical to each other, even though they evolved thousands of kilometres apart. Kovalev reasoned they must be essential for surviving in the cold, and he subsequently named them ‘cryorhodopsins’.

Colour matters

Colour is the key feature of each rhodopsin. Most are pinkorange – they reflect pink and orange light, and absorb green and blue light, which activates them. Blue rhodopsins have been especially soughtafter because they are activated by red light, which penetrates tissues more deeply and noninvasively. The colour of each rhodopsin is determined by its molecular structure, which dictates the wavelengths of light it absorbs and reflects. Any changes in this structure can alter the colour.

Kovalev applied a 4D structural biology approach, combining Xray crystallography at EMBL Hamburg beamline P14 and cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM). This showed that many of the cryorhodopsins were blue. When cells expressing cryorhodopsins were exposed to UV light, it induced electric currents inside them. Interestingly, when Kovalev illuminated the cells right afterwards with green light, the cells became more excitable, whereas if they used UV/red light instead, it reduced the cells’ excitability.

It is reasoned that cryorhodopsins might act like photosensors letting the microbes ‘see’ UV light.

Synthetic blue

Applying advanced structural biology techniques, Kovalev figured out that the secret to the blue colour is the same rare structural feature that he originally spotted in the protein databases.

Applying advanced structural biology techniques, Kovalev figured out that the secret to the blue colour is the same rare structural feature that he originally spotted in the protein databases. “Now that we understand what makes them blue, we can design synthetic blue rhodopsins tailored to different applications,” explains Kovalev.

This extends to the remarkable ability to turn cellular electrical activity on and off. Kovalev believes the molecules could one day power new brain technology, such as lightbased hearing aids or nextlevel neuroscience tools.

The research appears in the journal Science Advances, titled “CryoRhodopsins: A comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments.”

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Trump: US ‘Pretty Much’ Has Deal for TikTok Sale Ahead of China Talks
Next Article Wimbledon 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Norrie ON NOW, Kartal OUT, Fritz THROUGH – latest
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

248.1k Like
69.1k Follow
134k Pin
54.3k Follow

Latest News

Driver blasts ‘automatic pass’ as she faces $1.7k bill in unexpected fines
News
The latest 55
News
Java News Roundup: Spring gRPC, Micronaut, JReleaser, Tomcat, Quarkus Legacy Config Classes
News
The Best Samsung Watches We’ve Tested (July 2025)
News

You Might also Like

News

Driver blasts ‘automatic pass’ as she faces $1.7k bill in unexpected fines

7 Min Read
News

The latest 55

2 Min Read
News

Java News Roundup: Spring gRPC, Micronaut, JReleaser, Tomcat, Quarkus Legacy Config Classes

6 Min Read
News

The Best Samsung Watches We’ve Tested (July 2025)

2 Min Read
//

World of Software is your one-stop website for the latest tech news and updates, follow us now to get the news that matters to you.

Quick Link

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Topics

  • Computing
  • Software
  • Press Release
  • Trending

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

World of SoftwareWorld of Software
Follow US
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. World of Software.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?