Advances and future trends in real-time precision optical control of chemical processes in live cells.

Traditional chemical interventions regulate cellular processes but often affect non-target biomolecules. Precise and site-specific control is crucial for studying complex systems. Conventional laser-based methods offer high spatial precision and speed but rely on prior sample knowledge and do not apply to highly mobile targets. Real-time precision opto-control (RPOC) overcomes these limits using closed-loop feedback for automated and signal-determined real-time laser activation to regulate chemical processes in live biological samples. This review compares RPOC with other optical control techniques and explores its advancements, applications, and future directions.