Deep Model Predictive Control via Optogenetics with the Mightex Polygon

We used the Mightex Polygon digital micromirror device to control gene expression in real time in thousands of single cells via optogenetics. The throughput of the Polygon and its hardware triggering capabilities allowed us to apply hundreds of computer-generated optogenetic stimulation patterns in rapid succession onto our cells. This study was recently accepted in Nature Communications and a preprint is available on bioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.28.514305v1.

We used an Escherichia coli strain that features the CcaSR optogenetic system, which is activated by green light and repressed by red light, to drive a green fluorescent protein’s expression. We grew these cells in a microfluidic device that allowed us to observe the cells over periods of time of over 16 hours using automated time-lapse microscopy (Fig. 1). Every five minutes fluorescence was imaged and quantified for each single cell, and we used an AI-based control algorithm to dynamically decide whether each cell should be exposed to red or green light to drive its fluorescence, and therefore gene expression, towards user-defined objectives (Movie 1).