Prof. Dr. Matias Zurbriggen
Research focus
We develop and apply theoretical-experimental, synthetic biology principles to the integrative research on biological signalling systems. This transdisciplinary approach at the interface between engineering and life sciences, focuses on the implementation of strategies to mechanistically understand and control eukaryotic signalling processes and regulatory networks in a quantitative and spatiotemporally resolved manner.
We design synthetic biology strategies for the reconstruction of semisynthetic signaling and metabolic networks in orthogonal cellular systems to quantitatively understand the molecular mechanisms underlying network functions. We perform a de novo engineering of genetic circuits, biosensors, synthetic and metabolic switches and pathways, including intracellular and cell-cell communication systems.
We pioneered cellular optogenetics, i.e. the engineering of synthetic photoswitches rewired to control and understand molecular processes with high precision, quantitative and high spatio-temporal resolution, in a non-invasive way and with minimized toxicity. We apply the optogenetic tools to selectively control a plethora of cellular processes, including gene expression, protein stability, receptor function and subcellular localization of proteins. We can combine, multiplex different systems to achieve orthogonal, independent control of various cellular processes using light of different colors sequentially or simultaneously. We implement these molecular tools into microbial, yeast/fungi, mammalian cells, and in vivo in animals. We have successfully introduced optogenetic into plants, by overcoming the intrinsic experimental limitations posed by the need of plants for light to grow.
We target metabolic and signaling networks, for the control of cellular differentiation and organ development and patterning in tissue engineering approaches by applying a cybergenetics strategy in 2D and 3D using advanced technologies including DMD and laser illumination, synthetic organoids and 3D bioprinting of cells and tissues.
These synthetic biology strategies open up unforeseen perspectives in fundamental and applied research, including the biomedical and biopharmaceutical fields and crop improvement.
Most important publications
- Beyer HM, Kumar S, Nieke M, Diehl CMC, Tang K, Shumka, S, Koh CS, Fleck C, Davies JA, Khammash M*/Zurbriggen MD* “Genetically-stable engineered optogenetic switches modulate spatial cell morphogenesis in two- and three-dimensional tissue cultures” Nature Methods (2024) 17:717-725 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0868-y *Corresponding authors
- Kumar S, Beyer HM, Chen M, Zurbriggen MD*/Khammash M* “Image-guided optogenetic spatiotemporal tissue patterning using µPatternscope” Nature Communications (2024) 15:10469 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54351-6 *Corresponding authors
- Andres J, Schmunk LJ, Grau-Enguix F, Braguy J, Samodelov SL, Blomeier T, Ochoa-Fernandez R, Weber W, Al-Babili S, Alabadi D, Blazquez MA*/Zurbriggen MD* “Ratiometric gibberellin biosensors fort he analysis of signaling dynamics and metabolism in plant protoplasts“ Plant Journal (2024) DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16725. Highlighted in issue. *Corresponding authors
- Yi C, Gerken U, Tang K, Philipp M, Zurbriggen MD, Köhler J, Möglich A “Plant phytochrome interactions decode light and temperature signals” Plant Cell (2024) 00:1-21 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae249
- Jang J†/Tang K†, Youn J, McDonald S, Beyer HM, Zurbriggen MD*/Uppalapati M*/Woolley GA* “Engineering of Bidirectional, cyanobacteriochrome-based Light inducible dimers (BICYCL)s “ Nature Methods (2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01764-8. Selected by the Journal as one of the top methods of 2023. *Corresponding authors
- Molinari PE, Krapp AR, Weiner A, Beyer HM, Kondadi AK, Blomeier T, Lopez M, Bustos-Sanmamed P, Tever E, Weber W, Reichert AS, Calcaterra NB, Beller M, Carrillo N*/Zurbriggen MD* “NERNST: a genetically-encoded ratiometric non-destructive sensing tool to estimate NADP(H) redox status in bacterial, plant and animal systems” Nature Communications (2023), DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38739-4 *Corresponding authors
- Mor E†/Pernisova M†, Minne M, Cerutti G, Ripper D, Nolf J, Andres J, Ragni L, Zurbriggen MD*/De Rybel B*/Vernoux T* „bHLH heterodimer complex variations shape meristems in Arabidopsis thaliana by affecting target gene specificity” iScience (2022) DOI: 10.1016/2j.isci.2022.105364 *Corresponding authors
- Urquiza-Garcia U, Zurbriggen MD “Biofortifying green optogenetics” Nature Plants (2021) 7(2):104-105 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00860-x.
- Ochoa-Fernandez R, Abel NB, Wieland F-G, Schlegel J, Koch L-A, Miller JB, Engesser R, Giuriani G, Brandl SM, Timmer J, Weber W, Ott T, Simon R and Zurbriggen MD “Optogenetic control of gene expression in plants in the presence of ambient white light” Nature Methods (2020) 17:717-725 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0868-y
- Samodelov SL, Beyer HM, Guo X, Augustin M, Jia K-P, Beyer P, Weber W, Al-Babili S and Zurbriggen MD “StrigoQuant: a genetically encoded biosensor for quantifying strigolactone activity and specificity” Science Advances(2016) 2:e1601266 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601266
ORCID: 0000-0002-3523-2907