NUS engineers colour-sensing yeast

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS), led by Associate Professor Poh Chueh Loo, engineered baker's yeast to respond to multiple colours of light, enabling independent control of gene expression with red and blue light. This is the first time a single yeast strain has been engineered to respond to more than one colour. The team developed a red light-responsive protein called y-iLight and combined it with the blue light-responsive system EL222, achieving multiplexed optogenetics. They demonstrated applications in producing luteolin, controlling cell flocculation, and creating patterned living images. The findings were published in Tata Communications on 22 May 2026.