An Optogenetic Guide to the Brain
WAKO, Japan, July 20, 2010 — Scientists at RIKEN have developed a genetically encoded fluorescent sensor that can act as a direct optical indicator of signaling activity in the living brain. This powerful tool, described in a new article from Nature Methods, promises to help neuroscientists identify and monitor the behavior of neural circuits involved in motor activity, sensory perception and other functions.
When in their rest state, nerve cells emit a bluish-purple light with a wavelength of 440 nm, whereas in an...