Never Exercise Again - Optogenetics Is A Literal Light Workout For Muscles
Unable to exercise? Some new research may be hope in keeping muscles from atrophy. Researchers from Stanford University have shown how to use light to induce muscle contraction. But don't cancel your gym membership just yet. The study used bioengineered mice whose nerve-cell surfaces were coated with special light-sensitive proteins. They used a technology known as optogenetics, which involves the insertion of a specialized gene derived from algae into the genomes of experimental animals. This gene encodes a light-sensitive protein that situates itself on nerve-cell surfaces. Particular wavelengths of light can trigger nerve activity in animals endowed with these proteins, modifying nerve cells' firing patterns at the experimenters' will. read more