Outcome-Driven Microscopy: Closed-Loop Optogenetic Control of Cell Biology

Smart microscopy is transforming biological imaging by integrating real-time analysis with adaptive acquisition to enhance imaging efficiency. Whereas many emerging implementations are event-driven and focus on on-demand data acquisition to reduce phototoxicity, we here present ‘outcome-driven’ microscopy, which combines smart microscopy with optogenetics to achieve subcellular spatiotemporal control of biology to predefined outcomes. We validate this approach using light-based control of cell migration and nucleocytoplasmic transport, and demonstrate unprecedented spatiotemporal control over cellular behaviour.