“In science, it is a miracle made by the researchers from Swiss Federal Institute in Lausanne that synaptic transmission in neurons is through the cutting edge method in live animals. It is to stimulate neurons with light.”

Scientists at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) observed synaptic transmission between neurons for the very first time in a live animal. Some of them like Aurelie Pala and Carl Petersen at EPFL’s Brain Mind Institute used “Optogenetics”, a novel technique.

As we know that Neurons are the cells of the nervous system that communicate through junctions called synapses by transmitting chemical signals to each other in every aspect. Such functionality is critical for the brain and spinal cord too. They cannot quickly process the huge amount of incoming stimuli and generate outgoing signals here with brain and spinal.

As it is very difficult, these scientists used some artificial conditions that don’t capture the real-life environment of neurons in real.

Earlier stated novel technique uses light to precisely control the activity of specific neurons in living, moving animals. Hence the researchers have used this method to overcome problems in real environment.

How Optogenetics Works?

As discussed earlier, they use light to control the working nature of neurons in live animals. Instead of studying the hundreds of different neurons and neuron types, understanding higher brain functions like thought, mental disorders, behaviour, language, etc. Optogenetics works by inserting the gene of a light-sensitive protein into live neurons. It is from a single cell to an entire family of the neurons.

Now, the genetically modified neurons produces light-sensitive protein which is present on the membrane. Here, it acts as an electrical channel for any pass. When light is do well on the neuron, the channel present opens up and then allows electrical ions to flow into the cell.

Due to this, there will be an addition of electrical ions which changes the voltage balance of the neuron. It generates an explosive electrical signal in the neuron if the Optogenetic stimulus is strong enough to tackle.

Impact of Optogenetics: Controlling neuronal activity by switching a light “On” and “Off”.

Story Behind

Whereas the researcher, Pala used Optogenetics to stimulate single neurons of anaesthetised mice and looked forward to record synaptic transmissions with this. The neurons that she targeted were located in a part of the mouse’s brain called the barrel cortex. They processes sensory information from the mouse’s whiskers. When she had blue light on the neurons of that mice, the neurons activated and fired signals. They do contain light-sensitive protein. She also measured electrical signals in the fellow neurons using microelectrodes that can record small voltage changes across a neuron’s membrane that is present outside the cells.