Temporally precise, noninvasive control of neural circuitry is a long-sought goal of neuroscientists and biomedical engineers. Stanford University researchers in the laboratory of Dr.
Researchers in the laboratories of Dr. Karl Deisseroth and Dr. Peter Hegemann have engineered mutant ChR2 (Channelrhodopsin-2) proteins with light-sensitivity that is increased by orders of magnitude compared to wild-type ChR2.
Researchers in Prof. Karl Deisseroth's lab have discovered and engineered new microbial opsin proteins and cell trafficking tools to enable selective cell-type specific, light-sensitive switches for neuromodulation.
Researchers in Prof. Robert Malenka's laboratory have developed a light-activated animal system that could be used to identify compounds that treat certain psychiatric disorders.