Chemo‐optogenetic systems, which integrate chemically induced dimerization (CID) with the spatiotemporal precision of light, have emerged as powerful tools for interrogating complex and dynamic biological processes. First‐generation chemo‐optogenetic systems were limited to single activation or deactivation events with light. In contrast, next‐generation chemo‐optogenetic systems now enable reversible, repeatable, and wavelength‐tunable control, greatly enhancing their versatility. This review highlights recent advancements in these technologies, explores their applications in regulating diverse biological functions, and discusses current limitations as well as future directions for next‐generation chemo‐optogenetic systems.
Herzog et al. (Sun,) studied this question.