For decades microstimulation was the method of choice for activating neurons – the method proved to be reliable and accurate. That is why it is also used medically for deep brain stimulation. The ...

Transfer of the light-activated cation channel channelrhodopsin-2 gene enables optical control of heart muscle membrane potential. You have full access to this article via your institution. Until now, ...

Light can be used to activate normal, non-genetically modified neurons through the use of targeted gold nanoparticles—a new technique that could hold promise for treating diseases such as macular ...

Marc Zimmer received funding from NIH for his fluorescent protein research. Today big, game-changing ideas are less common. New and improved techniques are the driving force behind modern scientific ...

Soft and flexible: The optoelectronic implant containing a micro-LED array is inserted over the surface of the spinal cord. (Credit: Jimmy Ravier) Optogenetics – a technique that uses light to control ...

Please can you give an introduction to optogenetics? How was this technology inspired by psychiatry? Optogenetics is a way of introducing information into the brain using light, it targets specific ...

Optogenetics has greatly enlarged the scope of neuroscience by making possible the study of particular neural circuit components in both normal and diseased states. Credit: ktsdesign/ Shutterstock.com ...

Optogenetics is a relatively new biological technique that uses light to control the behaviour of cells in living tissue that have been genetically modified (using proteins) to become sensitive to ...

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of seizure activity in humans. It tends to arise predictably in discrete regions on the extreme poles of either side of the brain. The ability to ...

A mouse finds itself in a box it’s seen before; inside, its white walls are bright and clean. Then, a door opens. On the other side, a dark chamber awaits. The mouse should be afraid. Stepping into ...