News & Comment

The application of systems approaches to human disease will continue to expand.

With the capacity to control cellular behaviors using light and genetically encoded light-sensitive proteins, optogenetics has opened new doors for experimentation across biological fields.

Optogenetics is routinely used to activate and inactivate genetically defined neuronal populations in vivo. A second optogenetic revolution will occur when spatially distributed and sparse neural assemblies can be precisely manipulated in behaving animals.

Rhodopsins from microalgae and eubacteria are powerful tools for manipulating the function of neurons and other cells, but these tools still have limitations. We discuss engineering approaches that can help advance optogenetics.

Optogenetics grows from an idea into a discipline. Monya Baker reports.

Optogenetics is a technology that allows targeted, fast control of precisely defined events in biological systems as complex as freely moving mammals. By delivering optical control at the speed (millisecond-scale) and with the precision (cell type–specific) required for biological processing, optogenetic approaches have opened new landscapes for the study of biology, both in health and disease.

Optogenetic modules offer cell biologists unprecedented new ways to poke and prod cells. The combination of these precision perturbative tools with observational tools, such as fluorescent proteins, may dramatically accelerate our ability to understand the inner workings of the cell.

A DNA walker–based system enables ordered, multistep synthesis of a peptide in a single solution.

Gene expression profiles identify chromosomal aberrations in human induced pluripotent stem cell lines.

New dyes emit near-infrared chemiluminescence when warmed to body temperature, allowing deep-tissue imaging in mice.

Using a virtual reality setup and a deep window into the brain, researchers can image the activity of neurons as mice navigate virtual environments.

A specialized supercomputer allows molecular dynamics simulations to be carried out for much longer periods of time than previously possible, yielding new insights into protein folding and dynamics.

New tools are improving the prospects for transcranial light-based neuroscience, but better methods for using them are needed before they can reach their full potential.

Blue light pulls proteins together.