Brain-controlled light - Gazeta Wyborcza

Snap – running, flick – does not work. Imagine it would be convenient if by such a wonderful pstryczka be able to enable and disable unwanted thoughts or memories.

Well, now you can. Although for now enjoy this mostly mice. But there is a chance that, as result of optogenetyki benefit from this as people. Those skilled in the brand new field of neuroscience ensure that over time they can much more effectively treat mental and neurological disorders, restore sight and power in the paralyzed limbs.

For the time being – indeed successful – they got down to obsessive -compulsive, commonly referred to as OCD. But what is this optogenetyka

class=”txt_srodtytul”> neurons Sensors

In short, saying, controlled by the brain Light.

However, to be able to do this, you must build light-sensitive neurons of protein – rhodopsin.

Normally we have them in the retina, so that we can see. Rhodopsin under the influence of light pulses because initiates a cascade of biochemical reactions, making the cells of the eye through the optic nerve to the brain send signals. But he interprets incoming signals and organizes them into a coherent picture.

The protein is also equipped with a lot of other, simpler organisms – some bacteria and algae, which depends on a quest for light. For the production of rhodopsin corresponds with them one particular gene that was able to precisely track it.

And now doing so: genetic engineering (eg, via a virus) introduced this gene into the DNA of the nerve cell. If successful in its membrane to produce rhodopsin. And so, we will gain fillip-sensitized neural switch.

Blue light activates neuron, yellow – off.

It is very simple in the case of such simple creatures such as the worm C. elegans. This inhabitant of many experimental laboratories ̵ 1;

is grateful object of study, because his whole body consists of 959 somatic cells, of which 302 are neurons. In addition, this worm is transparent. With this in mind, Alexander Gottschalk of the University of Frankfurt motor neurons has provided such a worm in rhodopsin.

Then he began flashing light: blue, yellow, blue, yellow. And now the worm bends to the left and right as the disco party.

Well, but how to deal with far more complex creatures whose heads are not as nice transparent?

After “from adding” to their neurons rhodopsin gently introduced into the brain thin optical fiber.