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Brain Stains

Genetically encoded optical reporters light up neural activity, even in vivo | By Aileen Constans

Short of sticking electrodes directly into an organism's brain, scientists looking to image neural signaling in living systems have few options. Until recently, most researchers made do with voltage- or calcium-sensitive organic dyes.

The use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) by scientists in Roger Tsien's lab at the University of California, San Diego, in the early 19905 marked a turning point for the field. By fusing GFP to a gene whose product is sensitive to changes in neural activity - for instance, fluctuations in calcium ion concentration or membrane voltage - scientists could target ...

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