Optogenetics is a technique for studying the work of nerve cells , based on the introduction of special channels in their membrane - opsins , which respond to excitation by light . For the expression of channels, genetic engineering methods are used, for the subsequent activation or inhibition of neurons and their networks , lasers , optical fiber and other optical equipment are used.
Optogenetics appeared in 2005 , and the first used opsin was channel rhodopsin 2 ( English channelrhodopsin-2, ChR2 ) [1] .
The advantage of optogenetic methods over traditional electrophysiological methods for studying neural networks and the impact on them is the possibility of highly selective activation or suppression of specific neuronal connections [2] . This selectivity opens up new possibilities in the treatment of Parkinson's disease , depression , anxiety and epilepsy [2] .
Boris Zemelman is the founder of optogenetics. American scientist neuroscientist. Born in 1967. He emigrated from the USSR at the age of 10, graduated from Stanford.
Notes
- ↑ Boyden ES, Zhang F., Bamberg E., Nagel G., Deisseroth K. Millisecond-timescale, genetically targeted optical control of neural activity (Eng.) // Nat. Neurosci . - 2005. - Vol. 8 , no. 9 . - P. 1263-1268 . - DOI : 10.1038 / nn1525 . - PMID 16116447 .
- ↑ 1 2 Song C., Knöpfel T. Optodenetics enlightens neuroscience drug discovery (Eng.) // Nat. Rev. Drug Discov . - 2016. - Vol. 15 , no. 2 . - P. 97-109 . - DOI : 10.1038 / nrd.2015.15 .
Links
- Neuroscience for everyone. Methods: optogenetics .
- Cell imaging: Light activated - Nature Magazine, 456, 826-827 (December 11, 2008) | doi: 10.1038 / 456826a; Published online 10 December 2008
- Dawn on the mice - Wayne Peng; Nature Methods 6, 319 (2009) doi: 10.1038 / nmeth0509-319
- Cracking the Neural Code - a short video in which researchers from Stanford describe their work with optogenetic methods
- Optogenetics and understanding of the brain - a description of the possibilities and prospects of the method for the treatment and understanding of certain brain diseases (Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia)