Articles tagged with Optogenetics
MIT engineers have developed a new technology to probe the connections between the brain and gut, using fibers embedded with sensors and light sources. The researchers demonstrated that they can control neural circuits connecting the gut and brain in mice, inducing feelings of fullness or reward-seeking behavior.
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have identified a group of nerve cells involved in creating negative emotional states and chronic stress. The neurons, which are sensitive to oestrogen levels, were mapped using advanced techniques such as Patch-seq, Neuropixels, and optogenetics.
New research suggests optogenetics could restore regular heart rhythm without shocks, improving prognosis and quality of life for AF patients. Light therapy has shown promising results in rats, indicating potential translatability to humans.
A unique microcircuit in fruit flies' visual system transforms a single type of neuronal input to compute direction selectivity, with no inhibitory neurons present. The discovery reveals a striking example of the multilayered mechanisms of inhibition and excitation in the brain.
A new study from University of Michigan suggests that the perception of not enough food can be sufficient to slow aging in flies. The researchers induced hunger in flies through various methods, including altering amino acid levels and using optogenetics, and found that these flies lived significantly longer than controls.
Researchers discovered that parvalbumin interneurons secrete substance P, driving slow vasodilation and increasing blood flow in the brain. This process allows for waste removal and prevention of neurological dysfunctions like dementia.
Osaka University researchers identified a specific group of cells in the nucleus accumbens that signal when mice have made a mistake. Blocking these cells' signaling impairs future decision-making, highlighting the importance of this brain pathway in learning from mistakes.
Researchers have pinpointed a new neurological target, the mesencephalic locomotor region, to improve walking recovery in people with spinal cord injuries. Electrical stimulation of this area has shown promise in animal models, and a clinical trial is underway.
Researchers reveal Akt2's role in insulin-regulated metabolism, initiating energy production and nucleic acid synthesis. The study provides new insights into metabolic disorders like diabetes, paving the way for targeted therapeutics.
A new optogenetic tool, OPN4-mGluR1, allows researchers to modulate mGluR1 signalling in the cerebellum using light. This enables the study of synaptic plasticity and its role in motor learning, offering new possibilities for understanding cerebellar-associated diseases.
Researchers have developed a novel portable and low-cost macroscopic mapping system for all-optical cardiac electrophysiology using optogenetics and machine vision cameras. The system can stimulate and image engineered networks of human heart cells, providing insights into cardiac wave function and stability.
Researchers have discovered a human-approved medication that can bring back 'lost' memories in mice, suggesting a potential new approach to treating age-induced memory problems or early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The study used optogenetic approaches and the asthma drug roflumilast to revive memories stored in the hippocampus.
Researchers at MIT developed a new sensor that converts light into a magnetic signal detectable by MRI, allowing for the mapping of light distribution in tissue. This breakthrough has implications for optogenetic experiments and monitoring patients receiving light-based therapies for cancer treatment.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have developed a new optogenetics-based tool to manipulate neuron excitability using light. By altering the electrical capacitance of cell membranes, they can change how strongly neurons respond to electrical input, with potential applications in learning, aging, and brain disorders.
Researchers discovered that synchronized neural oscillations in the right hemisphere of the brain induce empathic behavior in mice, allowing them to perceive and share each other's fear. The study identified the causal relationship between 5-7 Hz oscillations in the cingulo-amygdala circuit and empathic responses.
Researchers at Boston University have found a way to manipulate emotional memories using optogenetics, allowing them to rewrite and reduce the potency of negative memories. The study reveals that positive and negative memories are stored in distinct regions of the brain and communicate through different pathways.
University of Cincinnati researchers have discovered a technique using light-activated proteins to normalize dysfunctional mitochondria in cells. This method has the potential to treat certain diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers discovered that communication between two brain regions, parietal cortex and premotor cortex, is co-dependent on instantaneous timescales to represent and maintain working memory. This finding challenges previous understanding of working memory representation in the brain.
Scientists from the University of Tsukuba discovered that the lateral habenula brain region plays a crucial role in amplifying aggressive behavior in response to social interactions. Blocking this pathway eliminated increased aggression caused by social instigation, highlighting its significance in promoting aggressive arousal.
Researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre discovered that brain area communication is dynamic and changes over rapid timespans, with influences varying on a fast timescale. This finding suggests that cortical areas may control different aspects of processing in downstream regions over very short time spans.
A new study by Bar-Ilan University researchers reveals that synchronized brain activity is crucial for information transfer between brain regions. Increasing synchronization improves transmission and processing of information, while decreasing it impairs cognitive function. This finding may contribute to the development of treatments f...
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum found that stimulating cerebellar nuclei cells can prevent abnormal brain activity associated with absence seizures. The study used mice and optogenetic stimulation to confirm the therapeutic potential of targeted cerebellar stimulation.
Researchers are combining optogenetics and fMRI to study the links between brain activity and behavior. This hybrid approach allows for targeted manipulation and monitoring of brain function in awake and behaving rodents, providing valuable insights into neural mechanisms.
Researchers at UVA Health System discovered a cluster of cells in the brainstem that controls the body's response to severe blood loss. The study found that re-activating these neurons can restore blood pressure and heart rate in lab rats, offering new hope for treating traumatic injuries.
Scientists have created a flexible, multipoint microLED array film that enables simultaneous optical stimulation at specific or multiple regions in the brain. The technology has potential broader applications in neuroscience research and could lead to new understanding of brain function and behavior.
Researchers identify a neural circuit in midbrain, thalamus, and cortex that orchestrates neuronal activity to trigger planned movement. The discovery has important clinical implications for motor disorders like Parkinson's disease.
Researchers developed an optogenetic approach to control parathyroid hormone secretion and prevent secondary hyperparathyroidism-associated bone loss. The method partially attenuated SHPT-associated bone loss in animal models, suggesting its potential as a treatment for hyperparathyroidism-induced bone disease.
Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine developed a new imaging technique to capture bacteriorhodopsin's motions in response to light on a millisecond time scale. This study reveals the protein's kinetics, including the speed of transitions between open and closed states, which informs optogenetics research.
Research led by Diego Bohórquez at Duke University has identified the cells responsible for sensing sugar in the gut. These neuropod cells produce neurotransmitters that transmit signals to the brain, allowing animals to distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweetener.
Researchers create Opto-vTrap, a reversible inhibition system that can temporarily trap vesicles from being released, allowing for controlled brain activity. The technique enables temporary removal of fear memory in live mice, with potential applications in epilepsy treatment, muscle spasm treatment, and skin tissue expansion technolog...
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have found a way to make deep brain stimulation (DBS) more precise, resulting in therapeutic effects that outlast what is currently available. The new protocol uses short bursts of electrical stimulation to target specific neuronal subpopulations, providing longer-lasting benefits.
Researchers developed a new system to measure and stimulate the entire ventricular surface of mouse hearts, allowing for simultaneous optical and electrical tracking of heart activity. The POEMS system provides accurate measurements of action potential propagation with minimal differences between modalities.
Researchers have developed a revolutionary wireless photoelectric implant that can control the activity of spinal neurons, enabling the study of neural function and the development of new treatments for neurological disorders. The breakthrough technology uses pulses of light to stimulate or inhibit specific spinal-cord neurons, potenti...
Researchers have developed a wireless, battery-free device that can illuminate neuron activity in the brain without penetrating the skull or tissue. This breakthrough technology has the potential to revolutionize treatments for conditions like epilepsy, chronic pain, and depression by enabling less invasive optogenetics experiments.
Researchers use X-rays to activate opsins in neurons, allowing for remote control of neural function and behavior. Scintillators emit visible light in response to X-ray irradiation, enabling the technique without tissue damage.
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum have developed a new reverse optogenetic tool that can be controlled by light, suitable for studying changes in the brain responsible for epilepsy.
Researchers at the University of Würzburg have successfully introduced a light-sensitive switch into tobacco plants' guard cells, enabling remote control over stomatal movements. This technology has enormous potential for improving plant drought resistance and water conservation.
Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum have discovered a universal functional mechanism of channelrhodopsins, which determines their efficiency as an optogenetic tool. This finding will help tailor more efficient optogenetic tools in the future by blocking inefficient pathways.
Researchers designed cpLOV2 using circular permutation to simplify optogenetic device design. The new photoswitch maintained structural integrity and function, providing more choices for optogenetic application developments. It was successfully used to gate ORAI1 Ca2+ channel and control cell activities in a mouse model.
Scientists have developed a new optogenetic tool using a mosquito-derived light-sensitive protein to investigate brain communication pathways. The researchers found that the protein enables precise control over specific neurons, allowing them to decipher neurotransmitter messages.
Northwestern University researchers have successfully implanted a wireless device in mice, allowing them to form instant social bonds through optogenetics. The device uses light to activate neurons and enables the mice to interact normally without restraints.
Scientists at the University of Würzburg have successfully applied optogenetic methods in tobacco plants, enabling non-invasive manipulation of intact plants or selected cells by light. This breakthrough allows researchers to study molecular mechanisms of plant growth processes in detail.
Scientists have developed a light-activated protein that can study single synapses in neurons, revolutionizing the understanding of long-term potentiation. The discovery reveals the physical changes in dendritic spines during long-term potentiation, providing valuable insights into learning and memory.
A MicroLED neural probe for neuroscience has been developed to control and record neural activity in the brain. The probe uses high-efficiency MicroLEDs to activate neural activity with sufficient light output, enabling researchers to study higher brain functions and their relationship with animal behaviors.
Scientists created more sensitive optogenetic tools to investigate cell signaling pathways in cancer and neuropathic pain. The new tools revealed how chemotherapy drugs disrupt signaling, enabling the development of targeted therapeutic compounds.
A new study by Washington State University researchers found that improving sleep after trauma exposure can improve function and alleviate PTSD symptoms. The study used optogenetic stimulation to increase REM sleep in rats, leading to improved memory extinction and reduced freezing behavior. This suggests that manipulating sleep immedi...
Scientists from Okayama University have developed genetically engineered proteins that can be controlled by light, offering a promising new tool for studying neurons. The engineered proteins, based on natural light-regulated channels, can be activated or silenced using different light frequencies, providing finer control over neural ac...
Researchers at Princeton University developed OptoBinders, light-switchable molecular tools that control cellular processes. These antibody-like proteins can bind or release targets in response to blue light, offering new capabilities for protein purification, biofuel production, and targeted cancer therapies.
Researchers successfully used optogenetics to induce arm movements in Japanese macaque monkeys by activating specific neuronal cells. This breakthrough study opens doors for future optogenetic studies and potential clinical applications in human patients.
Scientists have discovered a way to control plant processes, such as growth and immune response, using colored light. The new system, PULSE, allows for precise manipulation of gene expression and can be repeated multiple times, opening up possibilities for improving crop yields and plant defenses.
Researchers created an electrical signature that mimics an odor in the brain's smell-processing center, advancing our understanding of olfactory perception. The approach revealed key spatial and temporal neural features that combine to form a code for converting sensory information into perception of an odor
Researchers have obtained the structure of the light-sensitive KR2 protein in its active state, revealing the mechanism behind light-driven sodium ion transport. The study provides a detailed understanding of how this protein works and could lead to the development of new optogenetic tools.
An international team developed artificial neurons that can precisely target specific brain cells using optogenetics and light patterns. This technology has the potential to replace damaged brain circuits and restore communication between brain regions.
A new, implant-free optogenetics technique successfully manipulated neuron activity in mice and monkeys without causing brain damage. The SOUL protein allowed for light-induced alterations in neuronal responses throughout the entire mouse brain and superficial regions of the macaque brain.
Researchers at Duke University have successfully treated motor dysfunction in an animal model of Parkinson's disease using light-based deep brain stimulation. The technique, which targets specific neurons, shows promise for tailoring therapies to individual patients and improving treatment outcomes.
Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have determined the high-resolution structure of a protein from the recently discovered heliorhodopsin family. The study reveals a unique 'inverted' structure, with key differences from other known rhodopsins, and suggests possible functions for heliorhodopsins.
Researchers have developed a low-power beam steering platform that enables scalable optical systems for ultra-small LiDAR on autonomous vehicles, AR/VR displays, trapped-ion quantum computers, and optogenetics. The technology reduces power consumption while maintaining operation speed and broadband low loss.
Researchers successfully reproduced key ALS symptoms in zebrafish using optogenetic TDP-43, a human protein that forms aggregates upon blue light exposure. The study reveals motor neurons may be damaged before TDP-43 aggregation, suggesting new avenues for ALS treatment.
Researchers at IBS have engineered a new biological tool that controls calcium signaling in the brain of mice using blue light. The study found that this non-invasive approach triggers memory and emphatic fear responses, indicating its potential for studying Ca2+ signaling and its role in neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers developed a new technique using light to stabilize proteins for study, allowing scientists to observe how specific proteins contribute to health, development, and disease. The method, called GLIMPSe, involves attaching a short peptide sequence that signals the cell to degrade the protein, which can be controlled using light.