Blogs | Laboratory of Computing Biological Networks

Single Action Potentials and Subthreshold Electrical Events Imaged in Neurons with a Fluorescent Protein Voltage Probe

Submitted by José Wu on Mon, 01/12/2015 - 17:55

A genetically encoded sensor of membrane potential, FlaSh, was first introduced by Siegel and Isacoff (1997) as a fusion between the Shaker potassium channel and wild-type green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria (aqGFP).

Subsequent ion channel-based voltage sensors were designed to include a single fluorescent protein or FPs that form Förster Resonance Energy Transfer pairs (FRET).

Consciousness, a subject for scientific study?

Submitted by cjj on Fri, 05/30/2014 - 21:27

There is a recent preprint on the arXiv about defining consciousness with a so called Integrated Information Theory. Will this be relevant to the study of neuronal networks in vitro? It was not straightforward from the manuscript how we can quantify the postulated requirements in our systems. For example, how can we calculate $\Phi^\rm{max}$ for a cultured network with limited number of neurons? Or, what about a simulated network in silico?