Optogenetic techniques have been developed to allow control over the activity of selected
cells within a highly heterogeneous tissue, using a combination of genetic engineering and …

The ability to study cellular physiology using photosensitive, genetically encoded molecules
has profoundly transformed neuroscience. The modern optogenetic toolbox includes …

Esca** from imminent danger is an instinctive behaviour that is fundamental for survival,
and requires the classification of sensory stimuli as harmless or threatening. The absence of …

There is as yet no consensus concerning the neural basis of perception and how it operates
at a mechanistic level. We found that Ca2+ activity in the apical dendrites of a subset of layer …

Reversible silencing of neuronal activity is a powerful approach for isolating the roles of
specific neuronal populations in circuit dynamics and behavior. In contrast with neuronal …

BACKGROUND Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are naturally occurring light-gated ion channels
that are important for allowing motile algal cells to find suitable light levels. In neuroscience …

Optogenetic silencing allows time-resolved functional interrogation of defined neuronal
populations. However, the limitations of inhibitory optogenetic tools impose stringent …

Microbial rhodopsins are a family of photoactive retinylidene proteins widespread
throughout the microbial world. They are notable for their diversity of function, using …

The mechanism by which psychological stress elicits various physiological responses is
unknown. We discovered a central master neural pathway in rats that drives autonomic and …

The structure-guided design of chloride-conducting channelrhodopsins has illuminated
mechanisms underlying ion selectivity of this remarkable family of light-activated ion …