Advantages of Optogenetics

Cailynnjohnson07 Feb, 2024Health

A big advantage of optogenetic tools compared to conventional neuromodulatory approaches (e.g., electrical, surgical, pharmacological, thermal, etc.) is the compatibility with genetics. In model organisms such as fruit fly and mice, microbial opsins can be easily delivered to target neuron populations using a variety of genetic approaches to achieve cell-type-specific manipulation. Diverse transgenic fly and mouse models exist and are publicly available.