Inventors:
Edward S. Boyden - Chestnut Hill MA, US
Brian Y. Chow - Cambridge MA, US
Xue Han - Chestnut Hill MA, US
Xiaofeng Qian - Burnaby, CA
Nathan Cao Klapoetke - Cambridge MA, US
Albert Hyukjae Kwon - Cambridge MA, US
Assignee:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA
International Classification:
C12N 15/85
Abstract:
In a method for adjusting the voltage potential or pH of, or cause proton release from, cells, subcellular regions, or extracellular regions, a gene encoding for a light-driven proton pump is incorporated into at least one target cell or region, the proton pump operating in response to a specific wavelength of light. Expression of the gene is caused by exposing the target cell or region to the specific wavelength of light in a manner designed to cause the voltage potential adjustment, pH adjustment, or proton release. The proton pump may be a microbial rhodopsin, in particular derived from the genus of archaeabacteria, or be derived from , and . The voltage potential of the target cell or region may adjusted until it is hyperpolarized in order to achieve neural silencing. Light-activated proton pumps responsive to different wavelengths of light may be used together to achieve multi-color neural silencing.
