Biological technique to control the activity of neurons or other cell types with light

Optogenetics

Optogenetics

Optogenetics is a biological technique to control the activity of <a href="/en/Neurons" title="Neurons" class="mw-redirect wl">neurons</a> or other cell types with light. This is achieved by <a href="/en/Gene_expression" title="Gene expression" class="wl">expression</a> of <a href="/en/Channelrhodopsin" title="Channelrhodopsin" class="wl">light-sensitive ion channels</a>, <a href="/en/Halorhodopsin" title="Halorhodopsin" class="wl">pumps</a> or <a href="/en/Photoactivated_adenylyl_cyclase" title="Photoactivated adenylyl cyclase" class="wl">enzymes</a> specifically in the target cells. On the level of individual <a href="/en/Cell_(biology)" title="Cell (biology)" class="wl">cells</a>, <a href="/en/Photoactivated_adenylyl_cyclase" title="Photoactivated adenylyl cyclase" class="wl">light-activated enzymes</a> and <a href="/en/Transcription_factor" title="Transcription factor" class="wl">transcription factors</a> allow precise control of biochemical signaling pathways.<a href="#cite_note-:4-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;">[1]</a> In <a href="/en/Neuroscience" title="Neuroscience" class="wl">systems neuroscience</a>, the ability to control the activity of a genetically defined set of neurons has been used to understand their contribution to decision making,<a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;">[2]</a> learning,<a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;">[3]</a> fear memory,<a href="#cite_note-4" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 4;">[4]</a> mating,<a href="#cite_note-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;">[5]</a> addiction,<a href="#cite_note-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;">[6]</a> feeding,<a href="#cite_note-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;">[7]</a> and locomotion.<a href="#cite_note-8" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 8;">[8]</a> In a first medical application of optogenetic technology, vision was partially restored in a blind patient.<a href="#cite_note-:13-9" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 9;">[9]</a>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">Biological technique to control the activity of&nbsp;neurons&nbsp;or other cell types with light</div>
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Optogenetic techniques have also been introduced to map the <a href="/en/Brain_connectivity_estimators" title="Brain connectivity estimators" class="wl">functional connectivity</a> of the brain.<a href="#cite_note-10" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 10;">[10]</a><a href="#cite_note-11" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 11;">[11]</a> By altering the activity of genetically labelled neurons with light and using imaging and electrophysiology techniques to record the activity of other cells, researchers can identify the <a href="/en/Independence_(probability_theory)" title="Independence (probability theory)" class="wl">statistical dependencies</a> between cells and brain regions.<a href="#cite_note-12" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 12;">[12]</a><a href="#cite_note-13" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 13;">[13]</a> 

In a broader sense, optogenetics also includes methods to <a href="/en/Optogenetic_methods_to_record_cellular_activity" title="Optogenetic methods to record cellular activity" class="wl">record cellular activity</a> with <a href="/en/Genetically_encoded_indicator" title="Genetically encoded indicator" class="mw-redirect wl">genetically encoded indicators</a>. 

In 2010, optogenetics was chosen as the "Method of the Year" across all fields of science and engineering by the interdisciplinary research journal <a href="/en/Nature_Methods" title="Nature Methods" class="wl">Nature Methods</a>.<a href="#cite_note-14" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 14;">[14]</a> At the same time, optogenetics was highlighted in the article on "Breakthroughs of the Decade" in the academic research journal <a href="/en/Science_(journal)" title="Science (journal)" class="wl">Science</a>.<a href="#cite_note-15" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 15;">[15]</a><a href="#cite_note-16" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 16;">[16]</a><a href="#cite_note-:7-17" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 17;">[17]</a>

Optogenetics is a biological technique to control the activity of neurons or other cell types with light. This is achieved by expression of light-sensitive ion channels, pumps or enzymes specifically in the target cells. On the level of individual cells, light-activated enzymes and transcription factors allow precise control of biochemical signaling pathways. Optogenetic techniques have also been introduced to map the functional connectivity of the brain. In a broader sense, optogenetics also includes methods to record cellular activity with genetically encoded indicators.  