IR-LEGO : a tool for gene induction in targeted single cells

Methods for turning on and off gene expression at the experimentalist´s discretion would be useful for analyzing various biological processes. They would also serve as valuable tools for manipulating biological processes in living organisms. We have been developing a novel microscopic system utilizing an infraredinfrared laser laser, IR-LEGO (infrared-laser evoked gene operator), which is designed to deposit heat locally in living organisms. We have shown that IR-LEGO enables us to induce the heat shock response efficiently in targeted single cells of C. elegans worms, thereby driving expression of a transgene under the control of a heat shock promoter. Compared with the Coumarin dye laser, which had been used for targeted gene induction mediated by the heat shock response, we expect that the IR-laser can heat biological tissues much more efficiently and is less harmful to cells. Combination of IR-LEGO with other techniques for gene manipulation, such as the in vivo recombination and RNA interference, would further widen its scope of application.