Optogenetics: Using Light to Excite the Brain

In 2005, Edward Boyden of Stanford University and Karl Deisseroth of MIT opened up a new field of research—optogenetics—that offered the potential to revolutionize the treatment of neurological conditions. Their quest to genetically encode brain cells to be photosensitive has unlocked a toolkit that researchers are adding to consistently, and the implications for neuroscience and neuroengineering are vast.