Controlling and visualizing cellular dynamics with chemigenetic tools

Living systems are governed by dynamic events that span spatial and temporal scales. To understand these dynamic processes on a cellular scale, we require a broad range of perturbation and visualization tools. I will present two classes of chemigenetic tools that combine the cell-type specificity from genetic approaches with advantages of small-molecules. I will show how nanobodies can be modified to control protein localization with biorthogonal small-molecule drugs, and how we can expand the color pallet of indicators using bright chemical dyes. These tools allow interrogation of dynamic living systems from the subcellular level to living animals.