System for optical stimulation of target cells
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsKarl Deisseroth, Feng Zhang, Edward Boyden
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Abstract
Various systems and methods are implemented for controlling stimulus of a cell. One such method is implemented for optical stimulation of a cell expressing an NpHR ion pump. The method includes the step of providing a sequence of stimuli to the cell. Each stimulus increases the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell. Light is provided to the cell to activate the expressed NpHR ion pump, thereby decreasing the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell.
Claims10
A method for optical stimulation of a mammalian cell expressing a light-driven chloride ion pump from Natronobacterium pharaonis (NpHR), the method comprising:
- providing a sequence of optical or electrical stimuli to the cell, each stimulus increasing the probability of a depolarization event occurring in the cell;
- and
- exposing the mammalian cell to yellow light to activate the expressed NpHR ion pump, thereby decreasing the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.