Inner Workings of Channelrhodopsins and Nervous Systems

This Albert and Ellen Grass Lecture was recorded November 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Explore the initial high-resolution structures of each of the three major classes of a remarkable family of light-activated membrane proteins (the cation-conducting, anion-conducting, and pump-like channelrhodopsins), and the principles underlying their key properties, including kinetics, spectrum, and ion selectivity. Discover how these insights have led to creation of new tools for neuroscience, and gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental survival drives of animals at single-cell resolution, as well as the highest integrative functions of the brain.