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are fundamentally nanoscale in dimension, all of
biology and medicine can apply this technique to see things better. We’ve trained over 350 groups to do expansion microscopy, and new discoveries are coming out every week, mapping out the molecules within cells, in complex states like disease states of tissues.” ptogenetic tools are genetically encoded molecules that, when targeted to specific neurons in the brain, enable their activity to be driven or silenced by light. These molecules are microbial opsins, sevenoyden is particularly excited that with expansion microscopy they could make a complete map of the brain – maybe even with enough detail that we could simulate it in a computer, he says. “This might help us understand thoughts and feelings, and also how to intervene with neurological and psychiatric disorders.” OPTOGENETICS Ed Boyden is a Y Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology and Professor of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the MIT Media Lab and MIT McGovern Institute, USA. His research focuses on developing tools for analyzing and repairing complex biological systems and using these tools to elucidate fundamental principles about the biological function of these systems. ogether with Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Picower Institute of Learning and Memory at MIT, Boyden has founded the company Cognito Therapeutics, to effectively do human trials of “movies” to treat Alzheimer’s. The technique used is called optogenetics. STAIN transmembrane proteins adapted from organisms found throughout the world, which react to light by transporting ions across the lipid membranes of cells in which they are genetically expressed (Boyden, Biology Reports, 2011). LINK TO GEL MATRIX “I think that optogenetics, applied to animal brains, will reveal new targets for drugs to be developed against, as well as new patterns of activity that, if induced through noninvasive means, will help heal the brain. One of my favorite examples is from Li-Huei Tsai, who discovered, using optogenetics, a pattern of activity – a 40 Hz brainwave – that in mice cleans up the molecular problems in Alzheimer’s disease. Her team went on to figure out that you could induce this pattern effectively by having the mice watch a movie.” DIGEST THINKING BACKWARDS EXPAND Ed Boyden and his research group use a number of somewhat unconventional methods to design more useful tools, for example thinking backwards. “Thinking backwards means thinking deeply about the nature of a problem, and then surveying all the possible strategies for addressing the problem. We also like to think about going for “ground truth” a fundamental limit of description of a system e.g., getting down to biomolecules if we want to understand a cell. Finally, a lot of great ideas are “hiding in plain sight” – we like to read old papers to get insights into potential new technologies that could help understand or repair the brain,” says Boyden. NLS 98 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG ILLUSTRATION KANETHECAT/WIKIPEDIA