OPTICS: an interactive online platform for photosensory and bio-functional proteins in optogenetic systems

The cutting-edge technology of optogenetics opens to new ideas for control of cellular bio-functional proteins (CPs) using optogenetic tools (OTs) in spatial and temporal. Over the past decade, hundreds of optogenetic systems (OSs) have been constructed for various applications from living cells to freely moving organisms. In this work, a new database named OPTICS (an interactive online platform for photosensory and bio-functional proteins in optogenetic systems) was thus introduced. Our OPTICS is unique in (i) systematically describing diverse OSs from the perspective of photoreceptor-based classification and mechanism of action; (ii) featuring the detailed biophysical properties and functional data of OSs; (iii) providing the interaction between OT and CP of each OS refers to distinct applications in research, diagnosis, and therapy; and (iv) enabling light response property-based search against all OSs in the database. Since the information of OSs is essential for design of optogenetic controls, the comprehensive data provided in OPTICS lay a solid foundation for the future development of novel OSs. The OPTICS is freely accessible at https://idrblab.org/optics/.