Optogenetic tools for cell cycle control and cell growth regulation in budding yeast
Cell cycle progression and cell growth are governed by complex regulatory networks that integrate internal state and environmental cues. In budding yeast, these processes are tightly controlled by cyclin-dependent regulation of the cell cycle and nutrient-sensing pathways including the Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) pathway. Traditional approaches to perturb these systems, such as gene deletions, overexpression strategies, or pharmacological inhibitors, have been fundamental in elucidating their function, but they are often limited by poor temporal resolution, irreversibility, or off-target effects.
This thesis explores optogenetics as an alternative experimental paradigm, aiming to establish light-controlled, reversible, and minimally invasive tools to interrogate cell cycle and nutrient signaling dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.