Optogenetics
Technique using light to control genetically modified neurons, enabling precise temporal and spatial neural circuit manipulation.
Optogenetics uses light to control neurons that have been genetically modified to express light-sensitive proteins (opsins), enabling precise temporal and spatial manipulation of neural circuits.
Why it matters: Optogenetics allows researchers to selectively activate or silence specific neuron types with millisecond precision, establishing causal links between neural activity and behavior that correlational methods cannot provide.
Combined with recording: Optoelectrode probes integrate light delivery (via optical fibers or waveguides) with electrical recording sites on a single device, enabling simultaneous stimulation and recording without separate implants.
Key proteins: Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) for excitation, halorhodopsin (NpHR) for inhibition, and newer variants with improved kinetics, sensitivity, and spectral properties.
NeuroNexus products: Optoelectrode probes combine silicon recording arrays with integrated optical fibers for combined optogenetic stimulation and multi-site recording.