Scientists at Scripps Research Institute have created a groundbreaking method to track when brain cell activity decreases or switches off after a burst of activity using a combination of optogenetics and proteomics.

“Neuronal dynamics involve both the increase and decrease of activities; yet, for a long time, there have only been trackable histological markers for the former,” wrote corresponding author and neuroscientist Li Ye in collaboration with twenty co-authors.

Optogenetics is an innovative technique that combines optics with genetic engineering in order to control the activity of neurons with light activation. It is a method of activating brain cells or proteins by shining a light on photosensitive proteins.

The history of optogenetics is a modern one. Neuroscientist, molecular biologist and biophysicist Francis Crick........

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