Optogenetics: molecules enabling neural control by light

We have pioneered the development of fully genetically encoded reagents that, when targeted to specific cells, enable their physiology to be controlled via light. These reagents, known as optogenetic tools, enable temporally precise control of neural electrical activity, cellular signaling, and other high-speed physiological processes using light. Such tools are in widespread use in neuroscience and bioengineering, for the study of how specific neurons contribute to cognition, emotion, and movement, and to brain disorder states, or to the remedy thereof. These tools are also being evaluated as components of prototype optical neural control prosthetics for ultraprecise treatment of intractable brain disorders. Derived from the natural world, these tools highlight the power of ecological diversity, in yielding technologies for analyzing biological complexity and addressing human health. We distribute these tools as freely as possible to the scientific community.

TED Talk: Optogenetics, 2011

Publications

A Suite of Transgenic Driver and Reporter Mouse Lines with Enhanced Brain-Cell-Type Targeting and Functionality

Cell | 2018

Daigle TL, Madisen L, Hage TA, Valley MT, Knoblich U, Larsen RS, Takeno MM, Huang L, Gu H, Larsen R, Mills M, Bosma-Moody A, Siverts LA, Walker M, Graybuck LT, Yao Z, Fong O, Nguyen TN, Garren E, Lenz GH, Chavarha M, Pendergraft J, Harrington J, Hirokawa KE, Harris JA, Nicovich PR, McGraw MJ, Ollerenshaw DR, Smith KA, Baker CA, Ting JT, Sunkin SM, Lecoq J, Lin MZ, Boyden ES, Murphy GJ, da Costa NM, Waters J, Li L, Tasic B, Zeng H (2018) A Suite of Transgenic Driver and Reporter Mouse Lines with Enhanced Brain-Cell-Type Targeting and Functionality, Cell 174(2):465-480.

Temporally precise single-cell resolution optogenetics

Nature Neuroscience | 2017

Or A. Shemesh*, Dimitrii Tanese*, Valeria Zampini*, Changyang Linghu, Kiryl Piatkevich, Emiliano Ronzitti, Eirini Papagiakoumou, Edward S. Boyden+ and Valentina Emiliani+ (2017) Temporally precise single-cell resolution optogenetics, Nature Neuroscience 20:1796–1806. (*, co-first authors; +, co-corresponding authors)

Functional and topological diversity of LOV domain photoreceptors

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 2016

Glantz, S.T., Carpenter, E.J., Melkonian, M., Gardner, K.H., Boyden, E.S., Wong, G. K.-S., Chow, B.Y. (2016) Functional and topological diversity of LOV domain photoreceptors, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(11):E1442–E1451.

Optogenetics and the future of neuroscience

Nature Neuroscience | 2015

Boyden, E. S. (2015) Optogenetics and the future of neuroscience (Overview, Optogenetics 10th Anniversary Issue), Nature Neuroscience 18:1200–1201.

Transgenic Mice for Intersectional Targeting of Neural Sensors and Effectors with High Specificity and Performance

Neuron | 2015

Madisen, L., Garner, A.R., Shimaoka, D., Chuong, A.S., Klapoetke, N.C., Li, L., van der Bourg, A., Niino, Y., Egolf, L., Monetti, C., Gu, H., Mills, M., Cheng, A., Tasic, B., Nguyen, T.N., Sunkin, S.M., Benucci, A., Nagy, A., Miyawaki, A., Helmchen, F., Empson, R.M., Knöpfel, T., Boyden, E.S., Reid, R.C., Carandini, M., Zeng, H. (2015) Transgenic Mice for Intersectional Targeting of Neural Sensors and Effectors with High Specificity and Performance, Neuron 85(5):889-892.

Let there be light

cientific American Mind | 2014

Boyden, E. S. (2014) Let there be light, Scientific American Mind, November/December 2014.

Noninvasive optical inhibition with a red-shifted microbial rhodopsin

Nature Neuroscience | 2014

Chuong, A. S., Miri, M. L.*, Busskamp, V.*, Matthews, G.A.C.*, Acker, L.C.*, Soresnsen, A.T., Young, A., Klapoetke, N. C., Henninger, M.A., Kodandaramaiah, S.B., Ogawa, M., Ramanlal, S. B., Bandler, R. C., Allen, B. D., Forest, C.R., Chow, B.Y., Han, X., Lin, Y., Tye, K.M., Roska, B., Cardin, J.A., Boyden, E. S. (2014) Noninvasive optical inhibition with a red-shifted microbial rhodopsin, Nature Neuroscience 17:1123-1129. (*, equal contribution)

Independent Optical Excitation of Distinct Neural Populations

Nature Methods | 2014

Klapoetke, N. C., Murata, Y., Kim S. S., Pulver, S. R., Birdsey-Benson, A., Cho, Y. K., Morimoto, T. K., Chuong, A. S., Carpenter, E. J., Tian, Z., Wang, J., Xie, Y., Yan, Z., Zhang, Y., Chow, B.Y., Surek, B., Melkonian, M., Jayaraman, V., Constantine-Paton, M., Wong, G. K.*, Boyden, E. S.* (2014) Independent Optical Excitation of Distinct Neural Populations, Nature Methods 11:338–346. (* co-corresponding authors)

A toolbox of Cre-dependent optogenetic transgenic mice for light-induced activation and silencing

Nature Neuroscience | 2012

Madisen, L., Mao, T., Koch, H., Zhuo, J.-m., Berenyi, A., Fujisawa, S., Hsu, Y.-W., Garcia, A. J., Gu, X., Zanella, S., Kidney, J., Gu, H., Mao, Y., Hooks, B. M., Boyden, E. S., Buzsáki, G., Ramirez, J. M., Jones, A. R., Svoboda, K., Han, X., Turner, E. E., Zeng, H. (2012) A toolbox of Cre-dependent optogenetic transgenic mice for light-induced activation and silencing, Nature Neuroscience 15(5):793-802.

Light-Activated Ion Pumps and Channels for Temporally Precise Optical Control of Activity in Genetically Targeted Neurons

Neuromethods Series | 2012

Chow, B. Y., Han, X., Bernstein, J. G., Monahan, P. E., Boyden, E. S. (2012) Light-Activated Ion Pumps and Channels for Temporally Precise Optical Control of Activity in Genetically Targeted Neurons, p. 305-338, Neuronal Network Analysis: Concepts and Experimental Approaches, edited by Tommaso Fellin and Michael Halassa,Neuromethods Series Volume 67, Humana Press.

Towards Optogenetic Sensory Replacement

Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society | 2011

Doroudchi, M. M., Greenberg, K. P., Zorzos, A. N., Hauswirth, W. W., Fonstad, C. G., Horsager, A., Boyden, E. S. (2011) Towards Optogenetic Sensory Replacement, Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 2011:3139-41.

Optogenetics

33rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society | 2011

Boyden, E. S. (2011) Optogenetics. 33rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC ’11).

The Birth of Optogenetics

The Scientist | 2011

Boyden, E. S. (2011) The Birth of Optogenetics, The Scientist, July 2011 Issue. (Cover Story.)

Synthetic Physiology

Science | 2011

Chow, B. Y. and Boyden, E. S. (2011) Synthetic Physiology, Science 332(6037):1508-1509.

A high-light sensitivity optical neural silencer: development, and application to optogenetic control of nonhuman primate cortex

Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience | 2011

Han, X.*, Chow, B. Y.*, Zhou, H., Klapoetke, N. C., Chuong, A., Rajimehr, R., Yang, A., Baratta, M. V., Winkle, J., Desimone, R., Boyden, E. S. (2011) A high-light sensitivity optical neural silencer: development and application to optogenetic control of non-human primate cortex, Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience 5:18. (* co-first authors)

Light-Activated Ion Pumps and Channels for Temporally Precise Optical Control of Activity in Genetically Targeted Neurons

Neuromethods | 2011

Chow, B. Y., Han, X., Bernstein, J. G., Monahan, P. E., Boyden, E. S. (2011) Light-Activated Ion Pumps and Channels for Temporally Precise Optical Control of Activity in Genetically Targeted Neurons, Chapter 6, Photosensitive Molecules for Controlling Biological Function, edited by James J. Chambers and Richard H. Kramer, Neuromethods Series Volume 55, Humana Press.

Toward the Second Generation of Optogenetic Tools

Journal of Neuroscience | 2010

Knopfel, T., Lin, M. Z., Levskaya, A., Tian, L., Lin, J. Y., Boyden, E. S. (2010) Toward the Second Generation of Optogenetic Tools, Journal of Neuroscience 30(45):14998-15004.