Researchers have gained new insights into an ion channel from algae. These insights could help optogenetics realize its full potential in the future. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest ...

Researchers from Bochum and Regensburg have discovered that a light-sensitive ion channel from the alga Guillardia theta possesses two light-activated states. The newly discovered second state ensures ...

Optogenetics techniques, which allow scientists to map and control nerve cells using light stimulation, are being used to study neural circuits in the brain with unprecedented precision. This ...

Optogenetics employs a harmless virus to deliver light-sensitive genes to a particular set of neurons in the brain that can then be switched on and off with pulses of light. In a first, UC researchers ...

New research published in the Journal of Internal Medicine demonstrates that optogenetics—which uses light-sensitive proteins to control the activity of targeted cells—is a promising shock-free ...

For people with paralysis or amputation, neuroprosthetic systems that artificially stimulate muscle contraction with electrical current can help them regain limb function. However, despite many years ...

Researchers developed a way to help people with amputation or paralysis regain limb control. Their optogenetic technique could offer more precise control over muscle contraction, along with a dramatic ...

In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Berkeley have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons. The ...