Technique that turns brain transparent allows probing of intact neural circuitry

摘要

A NOVEL RESEARCH TECHNIQUE named CLARITY that renders brain tissue transparent while preserving the integrity of the organ is creating a stir in the field of neurosci-ence-and beyond. By allowing scientists to examine intact neural connections in the brain postmortem, the approach is expected to help them gain a deeper understanding of the brain. CLARITY was developed by a team of investigators led by Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, professor of bioengineering, psychiatry, andjbehavioral sciences at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. Previously, Deisseroth's laboratory came up with optogenetics, a groundbreaking technique that allows researchers to control the activity of neurons in living tissue by exciting them with light.