Articles tagged with Optogenetics
A $1.5 million, three-year grant will fund the development of new tools to study astrocytes, key players in brain function and disorders. The tools will allow scientists to manipulate astrocyte properties with spatial and temporal control, enabling investigations into their role in modulating neurons.
A new strategy for designing light-sensitive proteins has been developed by researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. They combined computer-aided and experimental methods to create a more targeted approach, enabling the manipulation of protein building blocks without impairing function.
Researchers developed a new optogenetic technique to control brain activity in mice, recreating natural perception and guiding behavior. The method revealed new insights into neuronal dynamics and the neurobiology of mammalian behavior.
The four scientists have transformed neuroscience by allowing unprecedented control over the brain's inner workings. Their discoveries established optogenetics as a field and laid the foundation for therapies for disorders like Parkinson's and addiction.
Researchers at Columbia University have successfully controlled a visual behavior in mice by activating specific groups of neurons in their visual cortex. The study used high-resolution optogenetics and two-photon calcium imaging to identify and target individual neurons, demonstrating the causal role of neuronal ensembles in behavior.
Scientists have created a system called optoPAD that uses light to manipulate the taste neurons of flies, creating virtual tastes that can affect their behavior. The technology has shown promising results in controlling feeding behaviors and could potentially be used to study the brain's role in food choices.
A team of biophysicists has discovered the correct structure of the KR2 rhodopsin protein under physiological conditions, which is crucial for understanding its mechanism and potential applications in optogenetics. The study reveals that the protein forms a stable pentamer when functioning correctly.
The discovery of channelrhodopsin-2 reveals two parallel paths in the activation of the ion channel by light, allowing for optimized applications in optogenetics. This understanding could lead to treatments for blind individuals and patients with agitated paralysis in Parkinson's disease.
Nanoscope Technologies has received multiple NIH grants to further develop its gene delivery and optogenetics platforms for treating and monitoring retinal degenerative diseases, such as Age-related macular degeneration. The company aims to improve visual acuity in patients with these conditions through targeted retinal stimulation.
A KAIST team has developed a noninvasive light-sensitive photoactivatable recombinase suitable for genetic manipulation in vivo. The new tool enables spatiotemporal control of gene expression in the mouse brain with high precision and minimal side effects.
Scientists have developed a novel optogenetic system that allows for precise control of integrin-mediated adhesion in human cells using light. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize cancer therapy and regenerative medicine by enabling targeted manipulation of cell-matrix interactions.
A new optogenetic system allows for precise control of light intensity and frequency, enabling independent stimulation of multiple brain areas. The device is powered by external magnetic fields and causes no adverse effects, with potential implications for medical devices like pacemakers.
Researchers have developed new tools for controlling specific cells in the brain using light, enabling the study of individual neurons within complex networks. The new protein pores allow for switching neurons on or off using light, opening up new possibilities for probing brain function.
Scientists in EMBL's De Renzis group use optogenetics to steer the shape transitions of embryonic tissues, controlling a crucial step in development. This technique allows them to inhibit abnormalities and provide new insights into tissue invagination.
Researchers developed a new way to engineer rhodopsin proteins, enabling the creation of tools with distinct properties. This technique doubles the number of available optogenetics tools, allowing for more precise experiments and advancing neuroscience research.
EMBL researchers used optogenetics to reconstruct epithelial folding in cells that normally don't undergo the process. This allowed them to build tissues in customized shapes without affecting cell function. The technique has implications for regenerative medicine and ex vivo stem cell culture systems.
Researchers at UC Berkeley are developing a technology to read and write neural activity, enabling them to stimulate specific sets of neurons to simulate sensory experiences. The goal is to replace lost sensations after peripheral nerve damage or control prosthetic limbs, with potential applications in treating neurological disorders.
The 2018 Canada Gairdner Award laureates made significant discoveries in genomic imprinting and optogenetics, impacting human development and disease. Their work has led to a deeper understanding of gene expression, developmental biology, and neurological disorders.
Researchers have developed a non-invasive method for stimulating the brain using nanoparticles that absorb near-infrared light and emit visible photons, allowing for control of specific brain cells. This breakthrough enables the treatment of conditions such as seizures and fear memories with minimal invasiveness.
A new optogenetic technique allows for non-invasive deep brain neural stimulation or inhibition by applying light externally to the skull. The technique, tested in mice, may one day complement current approaches to deep brain stimulation and therapies for neurological disorders in humans.
The KAIST research team has developed flexible vertical micro LEDs (f-VLEDs) with high optical power density, improving thermal reliability and lifetime. These f-VLEDs can be used for optogenetics to control animal behavior and are suitable for biomedical applications.
The researchers discovered the structure of Channelrhodopsin 2, enabling a deeper understanding of its mechanism of action. This knowledge could lead to improved optogenetic tools for studying neurodegenerative diseases and developing gene therapies.
An international team determined the 3-D structure of channelrhodopsin 2, a membrane protein used in optogenetics to control nerve cells. The study reveals how light manipulation can mimic nerve impulses, enabling fast and harmless cell activation.
A new study demonstrates the use of carefully crafted, ultrafast light pulses to control neuron activity in mice. This technique, called coherent control, could one day help patients with light-sensitive circadian or mood problems by regulating chemical reactions and ion flow.
Researchers developed a new optogenetic technique that enables precise stimulation of individual neurons, allowing for the study of how cells generate specific behaviors. By targeting single neurons, scientists can map connections among neurons that underlie behavior and analyze how those connections change in real-time.
Researchers have discovered a new protein, NsXeR, that can activate individual neurons and control muscle contractions with high precision. This breakthrough optogenetic tool bypasses uncontrolled calcium translocation, reducing potential side effects.
Researchers developed CRY2clust to trigger protein cluster formation in response to blue light, outperforming existing methods with a faster response rate and higher sensitivity.
Researchers at IST Austria create a novel optogenetic receptor that responds to green light, allowing for the rapid control of cellular behavior in defined spaces. The new tool enables scientists to study cellular signaling pathways and their role in human disorders without constant exposure to light.
Researchers at Graz University of Technology have made a breakthrough in optogenetics by observing molecular principles of sensor-effector coupling in a full-length structure of a red-light responsive protein. They described detailed mechanisms of signal transmission over long distances at a molecular level.
Optical probes have been developed to overcome light scattering in deep-brain imaging, allowing for precise stimulation of neural circuits. This breakthrough enables researchers to control individual neurons with remarkable resolution, opening up new avenues for neuroscience and neuromedical research.
The Light Plate Apparatus (LPA) brings optogenetics within reach of most biology labs with low-cost, easy-to-use hardware and software. Researchers can now incorporate optogenetics testing into their labs without extensive engineering or programming training.
Researchers at the University of Bonn and Johns Hopkins University have developed a new method to stop life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia using light stimuli. The technique shows promise as an alternative to painful electric defibrillation, with potential for implantable optical defibrillators in the future.
Researchers have optimized optogenetic methods to study neural circuits with single neuron resolution. By confining light stimulation to a defined disc-like shape and using spatially restricted ChR expression, they can unmask synaptic connections from neurons whose cell bodies lie close to the dendrites of the postsynaptic cell. This r...
Researchers demonstrate that groups of activated neurons can form the basic building blocks of learning and memory. They used optogenetic tools to control and observe brain activity in living mice, finding that neural ensembles can be artificially implanted and replayed.
RetroSense Therapeutics has successfully completed the first dose of its lead compound RST-001 in a phase I/II clinical trial for patients with retinitis pigmentosa. The study aims to assess the safety and potential efficacy of optogenetics in restoring vision.
Researchers used optogenetics to temporarily disconnect long-range axons, shedding light on the brain's internal communication. This study contributes to a better understanding of brain connectivity and its role in mental health diseases.
A new optogenetic photosensitizer, FAP-TAPS, allows researchers to selectively manipulate cells using light. The technology has potential applications in studying cardiac regeneration and treating diseases such as cancer.
Scientists have developed a technique using optogenetics to suppress nervous system activity in genetically-altered fruit fly embryos, showing promise in preventing the onset of epilepsy symptoms when treated early enough.
Scientists have developed an artificial skin that can detect static objects using flexible organic circuits and specialized pressure sensors. The system translates static pressure into digital signals, which are then transferred to the brain cells of mice, offering a potential solution for people with prosthetic limbs to feel sensation
Brown University researchers have created a new optoelectronic device that can stimulate multiple neuronal targets optically and record the effects in millisecond precision. This breakthrough allows scientists to control brain cell activity using specific spatial patterns of light pulses, enabling the study of neural circuits and netwo...
Ed Boyden and Nachum Ulanovsky are recognized for their groundbreaking work in neuroscience, including pioneering discoveries in optogenetics and neural activity recording. Their research is advancing our understanding of brain function and has the potential to lead to new treatments for neurological disorders.
Researchers at Brown University used optogenetics to manipulate the brain's perception of novelty and familiarity in rats. They found that different frequencies of light stimulation could alter the rats' behavior, with 30-40 hertz inducing a sense of novelty and 10-15 hertz inducing a sense of familiarity.
Researchers created a plant-human hybrid protein OptoSTIM1 to modulate calcium channels, leading to improved memory in mice. The study showed a nearly twofold increase in fear stimulus response memory compared to non-light-stimulated mice.
Researchers have developed a new optogenetic tool, CyclOp, which produces the second messenger cGMP when exposed to light. This allows for precise control of cellular signals involved in vision, blood pressure regulation and cell death, enabling new studies on signal pathways.
Researchers created a miniature device combining optogenetics with wireless power delivery, enabling experiments involving free-moving mice. The breakthrough expands the scope of optogenetics research and offers new possibilities for studying social behavior and complex movements.
A new study provides visual simulations of what someone with restored vision might see after undergoing sight recovery therapies, highlighting the limitations of current technologies. The simulations reveal that patients may experience fuzzy or blurred outlines, and temporary visual disappearances.
A new project at Brown University aims to make cells 'smart' enough to emit light precisely when needed to control themselves or their neighbors. This could lead to new ways to treat problems like epileptic seizures, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have determined the molecular mechanism involved in light-induced activation of Channelrhodopsin-2, a widely used protein in optogenetics. The discovery provides insights into creating tailor-made proteins optimized for use in optogenetics experiments.
Researchers have developed a novel optogenetic protein, Opto-mGluR6, which can be tailored to bring this promising technology closer to medical application. This breakthrough could potentially restore sight in patients suffering from any kind of photoreceptor degeneration, including severe forms of age-related macular degeneration.
RetroSense Therapeutics, a Wayne State University start-up, has received the prestigious Luis Villalobos Award for its innovative optogenetic gene therapy approach. The technology has the potential to treat all forms of blindness due to degenerated photoreceptors.
A new priority program funded by the German Research Foundation will develop next-generation optogenetic tools with higher light sensitivity. The program aims to expand optogenetics' application in basic research and medicine, particularly for treating vision and hearing impairments, Parkinson's disease, and cardiac diseases.
Scientists at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois have developed a new technique using gold nanoparticles to stimulate normal, non-genetically modified neurons with light. The technique shows great promise for potential therapeutic use in diseases such as macular degeneration.
Scientists at UT Arlington discovered that optogenetically stimulating a small area of the brain, specifically the anterior cingulate cortex, can significantly reduce pain behavior in lab mice. This breakthrough could lead to new strategies for managing chronic pain and improving our understanding of pain pathways.
The EHT model describes the mode of action of channelrhodopsin-2 as a twisted retinal group triggering a pore opening and water entry. This understanding enables targeted protein engineering for specific applications.
Researchers used optogenetics to record synaptic transmissions from light-sensitive neurons to interneurons in the mouse barrel cortex. The study revealed cell-type-specific synaptic connectivity and transmission patterns, shedding new light on brain function.
Researchers at UT Arlington's Biophysics and Physiology Lab developed new methods for optogenetic stimulation of brain neurons, guiding axons to form loops in the lab. The advancements aim to map neural circuitry and potentially treat conditions like chronic pain and drug addiction.
Research at Duke University found that the brain's motor cortex influences the auditory cortex, dampening responses to tones when a mouse moves. The study used optogenetics to activate specific neurons and showed that movement stimulates inhibitory neurons, suppressing the response in the auditory cortex.
Stanford researchers found that targeted brain stimulation using optogenetics significantly improved motor ability and weight regain in mice affected by strokes. The study's findings have potential implications for developing new clinical therapies for stroke recovery, including the placement of electrical brain-stimulating devices.
A new technology called OptoTrk successfully induces cell differentiation in neurons using blue light, upregulating downstream cell signalling. This breakthrough allows for remote control of specific receptors without the need for other substances or time periods, enabling more precise investigations of neural networks.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new light-sensitive protein called Jaws that allows for non-invasive brain control using a light source outside the skull. This breakthrough enables long-term studies without implanted light sources, paving the way for potential treatments of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.