Optogenetics News and Research

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Thalamic feedback pathway found to tune sensory perception

The cerebral cortex processes sensory information via a complex network of neural connections. How are these signals modulated to refine perception? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a mechanism by which certain thalamic projections target neurons and modify their excitability.

30 Jul 2025

Gut bacteria send direct signals to the brain to stop you from overeating

Researchers have discovered a novel gut-brain sensory circuit in mice where specialized colonic cells sense bacterial flagellin and rapidly suppress feeding via the vagus nerve. This "neurobiotic sense" operates independently of immune pathways, revealing a direct neural mechanism for microbiota-host communication.

24 Jul 2025

Study uncovers a specialized gut-brain pathway for glucose sensing

In a groundbreaking study, a research team at KAIST has uncovered a gut-brain circuit that enables the brain to selectively recognize glucose—beyond simply registering total caloric intake.

21 Jul 2025

Optogenetic platform enables precise discovery of anti-aging therapeutics

A landmark study published in Cell has unveiled a first-of-a-kind optogenetic screening platform, developed by scientists at Integrated Biosciences, a biotechnology company integrating optogenetics, chemistry and AI to discover small molecule therapeutics for age-related diseases.

16 Jul 2025

Light-activated drug discovery identifies broad-spectrum antivirals

UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators from campus biotech spinoff Integrated Biosciences, as well as Harvard, MIT and genomics company Illumina Ventures are using optogenetics - the use of light to probe the functions of living tissue - to find compounds to help our bodies more effectively help themselves in times of physiological stress.

15 Jul 2025

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

Discover how microscopy revealed the influence norepinephrine has on anxiety.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 3 Jun 2025

Optical stimulation of brain region boosts motor function in Parkinson’s models

Researchers are investigating the mechanisms and identifying new areas of the brain that can benefit patients when stimulated.

27 May 2025

AI identifies brain cell types through electrical signatures

A decades-old challenge in neuroscience has been solved by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the electrical signatures of different types of brain cells for the first time, as part of a study in mice led by researchers from UCL.

7 May 2025

Dopamine circuit helps the brain unlearn fear

Dangers come but dangers also go and when they do, the brain has an "all-clear" signal that teaches it to extinguish its fear.

28 Apr 2025

Study illuminates a general principle of neural processing in the brain’s serotonin system

Our lives are filled with binary decisions – choices between one of two alternatives. But what's really happening inside our brains when we engage in this kind of decision making?

25 Apr 2025

New neurons rebuild damaged circuits in Huntington’s disease

New research shows that the adult brain can generate new neurons that integrate into key motor circuits. The findings demonstrate that stimulating natural brain processes may help repair damaged neural networks in Huntington's and other diseases.

7 Apr 2025

Dopamine neurons play a central role in sustaining hedonic eating

A previously overlooked dopamine-producing brain circuit drives hedonic eating, or eating for pleasure, according to a new study in mice.

27 Mar 2025

Discovery provides crucial molecular targets for future obesity treatments

The pleasure we get from eating junk food - the dopamine rush from crunching down on salty, greasy French fries and a luscious burger - is often blamed as the cause of overeating and rising obesity rates in our society.

26 Mar 2025

Research reveals how dendrites connect memories in the brain

If you've ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in their spiny extensions called dendrites.

22 Mar 2025

Mice demonstrate first responder-like behavior toward injured companions

Humans may not be the only ones who aid their friends when they're hurt. Mice may do it, too, as shown by a new research study led by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC published recently in Science.

8 Mar 2025

How immune cells and neurons secretly shape brain health, behavior, and disease

Scientists explore how the immune and nervous systems constantly communicate, influencing brain diseases, behavior, and repair while shaping responses to environmental factors like sleep, diet, and pollution.

13 Feb 2025

New insights into PTSD's genetic architecture unveiled by Dr. Kerry Ressler

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Kerry Ressler, Chief Scientific Officer at McLean Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, unveils groundbreaking advances in understanding the neurobiological basis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related anxiety conditions.

4 Feb 2025

Bioengineers create non-invasive way to control cells using temperature

Imagine being at a big marquee event at an arena, like the Super Bowl, with the roar of the crowd, the smell of hot dogs, and a sea of jerseys all merging into one chaotic blur.

29 Jan 2025

The brain’s hunger switch: TRH neurons hold the key to obesity therapies

Scientists uncover how TRH neurons suppress hunger by inhibiting AgRP neurons, advancing our understanding of GLP-1-based obesity treatments.

9 Dec 2024

Researchers identify brain circuit behind sexual rejection in females

A team from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) has pinpointed a critical neural circuit for sexual rejection, identifying a set of brain cells that play a crucial role in determining whether a female accepts or rejects mating attempts based on her reproductive cycle.

25 Nov 2024