Controlling Neuron Activity with Photons as Neurotransmitters.

Researchers have developed a new system called PhAST that uses photons instead of chemical neurotransmitters to control neural activity. The system involves using light-emitting enzymes called luciferases and light-sensitive ion channels to send photons as transmitters between neurons. The team genetically modified roundworms to have faulty neurotransmitters and used the PhAST system to restore neuronal communication in a defective circuit. The potential of light as a messenger offers a broad scope for future potential applications in both basic research and clinical applications in neuroscience.