Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for optogenetics
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing optogenetics.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for developing optogenetics, according to Ars Technica. The technique uses light to alter the behavior of nerve cells marked by the activity of individual genes.
Hegemann and his coworkers showed that exposing the alga Chlamydomonas to a flash of light caused a rapid influx of ions. Working together, Hegemann and Nagel then showed that one gene lets protons into the cell, while the other allows a broad range of positively charged ions through.
Nagel went on to demonstrate that the genes encoding channelrhodopsins work in developing frog embryos and cultured human cells. He also showed the proteins are active in the neurons of C. elegans.
A partial picture of the nervous system
Over decades of research, scientists had built a partial picture of what specialized cells within the brain and spinal cord do. Before optogenetics, methods to control neurons involved inserting multiple genes, supplying specific chemicals, or using damaging lasers, and most were not widely used.
Quick answers
Who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for optogenetics?
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were awarded the prize for developing optogenetics.
What is optogenetics?
It is a technique that uses light to alter the behavior of nerve cells marked by the activity of individual genes.
What did Hegemann and Nagel demonstrate in their research?
Hegemann showed that a flash of light caused a rapid influx of ions in Chlamydomonas. With Nagel, he showed that one gene lets protons into the cell while the other allows a broad range of positively charged ions through. Nagel later showed the genes work in frog embryos, cultured human cells and the neurons of C. elegans.