Using an innovative new imaging technique, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have revealed the inner workings of a family of light-sensing molecules in unprecedented detail and speed. Optogenetics researchers insert genes for light-sensing molecules in neurons or other cells, enabling them to change the cells’ behavior with light pulses.
This work has revolutionized neuroscience and holds potential for treating neurological diseases as well. The more researchers know about light-sensing proteins, the further they’ll be able to push optogenetics.
