Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

8.4K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
8.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Advancing mechanobiology from single molecules to complex cellular systems.

Nature nanotechnology·2026
Same author

Bright calcium-modulated bioluminescent indicators for activity imaging and red photon-assisted synaptic transmission.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Obstacles Regulate Membrane Tension Propagation to Enable Localized Mechanotransduction.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Publisher Correction: Measuring age-dependent viscoelasticity of organelles, cells and organisms with time-shared optical tweezer microrheology.

Nature nanotechnology·2025
Same author

The mechanobiology of biomolecular condensates.

Biophysics reviews·2025
Same author

Measuring age-dependent viscoelasticity of organelles, cells and organisms with time-shared optical tweezer microrheology.

Nature nanotechnology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Using Affordable LED Arrays for Photo-Stimulation of Neurons
07:40

Using Affordable LED Arrays for Photo-Stimulation of Neurons

Published on: November 15, 2011

18.7K

Neural engineering with photons as synaptic transmitters.

Montserrat Porta-de-la-Riva1, Adriana Carolina Gonzalez1, Neus Sanfeliu-Cerdán1

  • 1Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Castelldefels, Spain.

Nature Methods
|April 6, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Scientists created a novel photon-assisted synaptic transmission (PhAST) system using light to transmit neuronal signals. This breakthrough enables new communication pathways and modifies animal behavior by overcoming natural synaptic barriers.

More Related Videos

Scalable Fluidic Injector Arrays for Viral Targeting of Intact 3-D Brain Circuits
13:36

Scalable Fluidic Injector Arrays for Viral Targeting of Intact 3-D Brain Circuits

Published on: January 21, 2010

14.5K
Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals
05:52

Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals

Published on: October 20, 2019

36.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Using Affordable LED Arrays for Photo-Stimulation of Neurons
07:40

Using Affordable LED Arrays for Photo-Stimulation of Neurons

Published on: November 15, 2011

18.7K
Scalable Fluidic Injector Arrays for Viral Targeting of Intact 3-D Brain Circuits
13:36

Scalable Fluidic Injector Arrays for Viral Targeting of Intact 3-D Brain Circuits

Published on: January 21, 2010

14.5K
Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals
05:52

Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals

Published on: October 20, 2019

36.4K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Neuronal computation relies on interconnected neural networks for information processing.
  • Existing cellular communication methods have limitations in expanding endogenous signaling repertoires.
  • Synthetic biological tools are crucial for engineering novel biological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a synthetic system for photon-assisted synaptic transmission (PhAST) to enable light-based neuronal communication.
  • To demonstrate the versatility of PhAST in overcoming synaptic barriers and modifying neural circuits.
  • To investigate the application of PhAST in dissecting neural circuit dynamics and behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a PhAST system utilizing luciferases and channelrhodopsins for photon emission and reception.
  • Implementation of PhAST in Caenorhabditis elegans to rescue behavioral deficits in a glutamate mutant.
  • Application of PhAST to establish de novo synaptic transmission in sexually dimorphic and olfactory circuits.
  • Utilizing PhAST to modulate nocifensive responses and olfactory behaviors.
  • Employing PhAST to analyze calcium dynamics in a motor circuit for ovipositioning.

Main Results:

  • PhAST successfully enabled transmission of neuronal states across space using photons as neurotransmitters.
  • The system rescued behavioral deficits in a glutamate mutant by facilitating calcium-triggered photon emission.
  • De novo synaptic transmission was established between unconnected cells, demonstrating PhAST's versatility.
  • PhAST allowed for the suppression of nocifensive responses and switching of olfactory behaviors.
  • The system was applied to dissect calcium dynamics in a motor circuit, showcasing its utility in neural circuit analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Photon-based synaptic transmission (PhAST) offers a novel method for intercellular communication.
  • PhAST facilitates the modification of animal behavior by engineering neural circuit function.
  • This synthetic system expands the possibilities for studying and manipulating neural circuits.