Nobel Prize awarded to scientists for optogenetics breakthrough in brain science
The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded yesterday to Karl Deisseroth and two other scientists for their development of the tool known as optogenetics.
Light-sensitive protein discovery origins
The research began with a scientist studying how a single-celled alga swims toward light. This study led to the identification of channelrhodopsin, a protein that makes cells sensitive to light. Inserting this protein into other cells allows researchers to control them with light.
Impact on brain research tools
This innovation created new tools for selectively turning brain cells on and off with precision. Experts describe the change as moving from a basic road atlas of the brain to something more like Google Earth. The discovery jumpstarted a whole range of new tools for studying complex brain functions.
Recognition at recent ceremony
Karl Deisseroth shared the prize with two other scientists at the recent award ceremony. STAT reporters Megan Molteni and Annalisa Merelli wrote about the history of this innovation in their coverage. The story highlights how curiosity about simple organisms reshaped modern neuroscience.
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