Re-inventing phototransduction with ion channel photoswitches that restore visual function to blind mice
December 4, 2017
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
4289 SEL, 840 West Taylor
Calendar
Download iCal FileNerve cells employ electrical and chemical signals as their means of communicating with one another, and with other cells of the body. We are interested in ion channels, the proteins that generate electrical signals, and synaptic transmission, the process that allows a neuron to communicate chemically with other cells. Many of our most recent studies utilize novel chemical tools that modify ion channels and synaptic receptors, rendering them sensitive to light. This approach allows non-invasive optical manipulation of neuronal activity in intact tissue. Our investigations span various parts of the nervous system, including the brain, the spinal cord, and especially the retina, the sole part of the nervous system that is normally accessible to light in vivo. Some of our studies are aimed at better understanding the functions of particular ion channels and synaptic proteins. Others are medically motivated; focused on developing a new therapeutic approach whereby light can input information into the nervous system downstream of sites of injury or degeneration. The most exciting application of this technology is as a potential vision-restoring treatment for degenerative diseases of the retina that result in impaired vision or blindness. https://mcb.berkeley.edu/labs/kramer/
Date posted
Aug 13, 2018
Date updated
Aug 13, 2018