# Stanford bioengineers control actomyosin contractility using blue light

- Published: 2026-11-06 17:40 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biotechnology
- Tags: engineered filamentous myosins, optical control of contractility, MyLOV motors, Stanford Bioengineering, Nature Communications myosin study, actomyosin network contraction
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-7ced2327efbaeb93f2409ea5_stanford_bioengineers_control/

**Engineered filamentous myosins change velocity and modulate cellular contraction under blue light in vitro and in live cells.**

![Stanford bioengineers control actomyosin contractility using blue light](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/913fbdc4a902e068.jpg)
*ZEISS Microscopy from Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0*

Bioengineers from Stanford University have developed engineered filamentous myosins that alter their speed, direction, and interaction with actin in response to blue light, according to a study published in Nature Communications [1]. The system expands the MyLOV family of genetically engineered motors to create functional minifilaments capable of precise optical control of actomyosin contractility [1].

## In vitro speed and contraction control

To evaluate the motor dynamics, the researchers performed in vitro single-molecule tracking assays and reconstituted actin network contractility experiments [1]. The gearshifting minifilaments changed velocity and direction under blue light illumination [1]. When embedded in reconstituted actin networks, these engineered proteins directly modulated network contraction rates based on optical input [1]. The team also created an alternative minifilament design that interacts processively with actin exclusively when exposed to blue light [1].

## Optogenetic regulation in live cells

The authors further characterized the contractile phenotypes of the engineered minifilaments in live cells [1]. Optical stimulation enabled targeted control of protrusion retraction, cortical flow, and whole-cell migration [1]. The engineered filamentous myosins provide an optogenetic toolset to examine self-organization, force transmission, and mechanotransduction in dynamic contractile systems across cellular and tissue models [1].

## Sources

1. [Nature Communications](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78828-8)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-7ced2327efbaeb93f2409ea5_stanford_bioengineers_control/