optogenetics

Memories Labelled And Erased With Light

Researchers have developed an optogenetic probe that can both label individual neurons and erase memories in the brains of mice.

Precise, Reversible Control Of Calcium Flux

By combining optogenetics with the Ca2+ sensor STIM1, scientists now have unprecedented control over Ca2+ influx into a cell in vitro and in vivo.

Fight-Or-Flight Reflex Circuit Uncovered In Mice

Using optogenetics and neural tracing methods, scientists mapped the fight-or-flight reflex circuit in the brains of mice.

Recalling Positive Memories Overrides Depression

Optogenetic techniques have revealed that the triggering of positive memories can mitigate the effects of stressful depression, at least in mice.

Magnets: The Fastest Photoswitching Proteins In The World

By electrostatically modifying an existing fungal photoreceptor, researchers have developed a photoswitch that responds in just seconds.

Lost Memories Retrieved

A study in mice has shown that memories are inaccessible but not completely lost in retrograde amnesia, suggesting that memory retrieval might one day be possible.

Skin-Brain Communication Requires Reverberations

An optogenetic study in mice shows that sensing textures requires a two-stage brain circuit.

Brain Hyperactivation Linked To Alzheimer’s Disease

Five months of chronic brain activation led to the increase in amyloid β deposition in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

The Path Between Sight And Fear

Dangerous visual stimuli trigger an unconventional fear circuit in the brains of mice involving the lateral amygdala, study says.