BITS Pilani Researcher Connects Optogenetics to Parasite Studies

BITS Pilani professor Nishith Gupta utilizes Nobel-winning optogenetics to study Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite, by controlling signaling enzymes with light.

Research conducted in collaboration with laureate Peter Hegemann demonstrated how light-regulated enzymes produce cAMP, helping scientists observe how parasites enter and exit cells.

This work underscores how fundamental biological tools evolved from algae-based proteins can be adapted to probe human infections and develop new avenues of disease research.