New frontiers: optogenetics
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‘I hope to peak your curiosity with a vision of how we might enhance brain function as we know it, and possibly change our sense of self.’ – I-han Chou
By inserting genes into brain cells, causing them to express light sensitive proteins, specific neuronal activity can be switched on and off with light. This is optogenetics, a technique for controlling cells with light.
So far, research has focused on stimulating the brain to do what it is evolved to do: walk, sleep, wake up, turn right, for example. But what possibilities might this ability to manipulate individual neural circuits have?
The fascinating potential is yet to be realised. How might optogenetics enhance the power of the brain – and give it entirely new capabilities? What kinds of new sensors could we borrow from the natural environment, or create to enhance our sensory processing? Could optogenetics blur the interface between brain and computer? How might optogenetics be used for restoring brain function when it has been lost to disease or damage?
Finally, how do we manage the ethical implications of our new understanding of the relationship between neural circuits and behaviour?
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