The TUSCany project addresses one of the most challenging areas in biological physics: the need to precisely investigate and control molecular vibrations in protein structures. These subtle mechanical dynamics are thought to be fundamental to protein function, but they occur at the Terahertz (THz} frequency scale, where spectroscopic measurement remains exceptionally difficult and non-invasive control is currently impossible.
The project's overall objective is the engineering of a novel nanophotonic lab-on-a-chip designed to achieve Vibrational Ultra Strong Coupling (VUSC). This work requires building new instrumentation capabilities from the ground up to establish a method for observing and eventually influencing biological dynamics. The success of this demanding approach will open a crucial new platform for fundamental research into enzyme behavior, focusing on the mechanical rather than chemical rules of life.
This research path is defined by a necessary, incremental approach: it begins with the acquisition of fundamental knowledge before moving to high-risk control experiments. The first step is to probe the mysteries of protein vibrations by setting up experiments at cryogenic temperatures (down to $-269°C), simplifying the system to understand the intrinsic vibrational properties of macromolecules (MMs). Once this foundational understanding is established, the project bifurcates. On one side, the team seeks to implement VUSC, a regime where the exchange rate of energy between light and matter is faster than any other decay, which has made the heyday of quantum physics and already been used to modify the course of chemical reactions. Simultaneously, the system is brought to physiological temperatures (operando) to observe how these vibrational signatures change. This progressive understanding culminates in the highest objectives and: demonstrating VUSC at body temperature and finally, modifying an in vivo biochemical reaction.
