
Optogenetics Hardware Setup - snake117
http://web.stanford.edu/group/dlab/optogenetics/hardware.html
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batbomb
I saw one of the guys from this lab give a colloquium (namely about the virus
vectors and mice) and it was the single most amazing thing/field I've learned
about in the last 10 years.

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bognition
Optogenetics represents a huge advancement in Neuroscience as they allow us to
single out a specific population of neurons for stimulation while leaving
their neighbors alone. Previous technologies for driving neural activity are
barbaric by comparison. I seriously hope that karl deisseroth wins the nobel
prize some day.

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sn9
It's not just the improvement in spatial resolution, but in temporal
resolution, too. The ability to stimulate specific subpopulations on
millisecond timescales basically means the precision of our surgical
techniques is now probably the main bottleneck to more sophisticated control
(alongside our own understanding of the interactions of different neuronal
circuits).

I'd say it's not so much a matter of "if" Deisseroth and his colleagues win so
much as when.

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aperrien
This is amazing. A couple of years ago I asked if we were able to use
Optogenetics to build a "bridge" over damaged neurons or nerve fibers. Is this
technology a "yes" answer to that question?

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siyer
Specifically in the peripheral nervous system, there's been some work along
these lines, primarily in anesthetized experiments, using ChR2-expressing stem
cells, which integrate into denervated nerves, and enable optogenetic control
of the previously denervated muscles. See here:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24700859](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24700859)

We wrote a review recently about what's been happening in optogenetics in the
peripheral nervous system/spinal cord. That's here:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27147590](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27147590)

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DigitalJack
I feel terrible for the mice used in experiments, and yet I'm grateful for the
scientific advances such experiments have made possible. Makes me
uncomfortable.

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bbctol
Lots of mice for neuroscience experiments end up with their heads sliced in
half, anyway, so there are worse fates. I never got that job, but I heard it
does strange things to the mind to cut rat heads for an hour straight.

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styrophone
> I heard it does strange things to the mind to cut rat heads for an hour
> straight

I've spent a few years doing that. While I can see how the image might appear
to folks who haven't been in that field, it's a bit hyperbolic to to think of
it as a soul-bending meat grinder. Conducting an animal study in a reputable
institution is regulated by an ethics committee with the purpose of
scrutinizing scientific motivation and the care of animals. When you're clear
on the purpose, methods, and minimum animal requirements, it isn't butchery.
Furthermore, keeping the animals comfortable (through medication and other
means) doesn't just serve to make the researcher feel good; it also eases
stress on the animals, which otherwise can confound medical data. In short,
it's a sophisticated professional endeavor, and the science gets more
mindshare than the visceral unpleasantness of performing surgery on an animal.
It has also been my experience that most people without experience in animal
research can be quite surprised by the degree of similarity between animal
care and use committees and human subject research review boards. Animal
researchers can have a fairly high bar to clear to justify the use of
vertebrate animals.

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tudorw
Thanks, I've read enough about the beginnings of biological science to deeply
appreciate your explaining the humane approach which seems to be as well
considered as your research, on behalf of our invaluable rodent assistants,
thank you.

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mrcactu5
they're attaching that thing to the mouse's brain?

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dekhn
they're not just attaching it, they're shoving it in there with long pointy
spikes!

