Remote Regulation of Optogenetic Proteins by a Magneto-Luminescence Microdevice

Mechanoluminescence (ML) is characterized by photon emission under mechanical action, which is promising for biomedical applications, such as stress sensing and artificial skin. However, the use of ML in deep tissues has encountered a bottleneck due to the need for contact excitation. In this paper, a magneto-luminescence microdevice (MLMD) is devised to realize optical emission through non-contact excitation of a rotating magnetic field. The MLMD is composed of ML materials (lanthanide-doped CaZnOS crystals) and a magnet bar, in which the magnet bar can collect excitation energy of the magnetic field and then drive the ML materials to emit light by rotational motion. The optical emission of the MLMD is used to remotely stimulate two optogenetic models at different tissue depths, including subcutaneous photodynamic therapy of tumor and neuromodulation of behaving mice. This work establishes an innovative approach to achieve remote control of light delivery, which is expected to inspire new applications in biomedicine.

Automated summary

A magneto-luminescence microdevice (MLMD) was developed in this study to achieve optical emission through non-contact excitation using a rotating magnetic field, allowing for remote stimulation of biological tissues. This innovative approach has the potential to inspire new applications in biomedicine.