PubReading [322] - Millisecond-timescale, genetically targeted optical control of neural activity - E. Boyden, K. Deisseroth et al.

Temporally precise, <strong>noninvasive</strong> control of activity in well-defined neuronal populations is a long-sought goal of systems neuroscience. We adapted for this purpose the naturally occurring algal protein Channelrhodopsin-2, a rapidly gated light-sensitive cation channel, by using lentiviral gene delivery in combination with high-speed optical switching to photostimulate mammalian neurons. We demonstrate reliable, <strong>millisecond- timescale control </strong>of <strong>neuronal spiking</strong>, as well as control of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. This technology allows the use of light to alter neural processing at the level of single spikes and synaptic events, yielding a widely applicable tool for <strong>neuroscientists</strong> and biomedical engineers.<em>doi:10.1038/nn1525 - 2005</em>