Rhodopsins from microalgae and eubacteria are powerful tools for manipulating the function of neurons and other cells, but these tools still have limitations. We discuss engineering approaches that ...

With optogenetics, researchers can use light to control the activity of neurons with greater accuracy than ever before. The key to this technique is specific microbial rhodopsin-like proteins. When ...

Researchers have shed light upon the mode of action of the light-controlled channelrhodopsin-2 with high spatiotemporal resolution. This biomolecule is used in optogenetic applications, which is ...

Controlling nerve cells with the aid of light: this is made possible by optogenetics. It enables, for example, the investigation of neurobiological processes with unprecedented spatial and temporal ...

Michaela Böhm, David Boness, Elisabeth Fantisch, Hanna Erhard, Julia Frauenholz, Zarah Kowalzyk, Nadin Marcinkowski, Suneel Kateriya, Peter Hegemann and Georg Kreimer The unicellular alga ...

Researchers have shed light upon the mode of action of the light-controlled channelrhodopsin-2 with high spatiotemporal resolution. This biomolecule is used in optogenetic applications, which is ...

Nearly a decade ago, the era of optogenetics was ushered in with the development of channelrhodopsins, light-activated ion channels that can, with the flick of a switch, instantaneously turn on ...

HHMI scientists develop new tool to silence neurons with an unprecedented level of control. Nearly a decade ago, the era of optogenetics was ushered in with the development of channelrhodopsins, light ...

Channelrhodopsin (ChR), an algal protein from Chlamydomonas reinhardtti, is a light-activated cation channel capable of inducing membrane depolarization and can trigger action potentials when it is ...

A recently discovered family of natural anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs) have the highest conductance among channelrhodopsins and exhibit exclusive anion selectivity, which make them efficient ...

Optogenetics enables specific nerve cells to be turned on and off using special light-sensitive 'protein switches'. One of the most important of these switches is Channelrhodopsin 2, the first 'light ...