Scientists monitor neuron action potentials optically

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and colleagues in Switzerland and Japan have used fluorescent calcium indicator proteins to optically measure living mice neuron action potentials, as well as the activity of


The only way scientists could do this previously was by inserting invasive electrodes into the nerve tissue or the cells, which does not allow for identifying indivisual cells and damages the tissue.


The new technique allows for investigating how memories are formed and lost and when and where nerve cell activity patterns become altered, as in aging and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.

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Endometrial stem cells could repair brain cells damaged by Parkinson's disease

Stem cells derived from the endometrium (uterine lining) and transplanted into the brains of laboratory mice with Parkinson's disease appear to restore functioning of brain cells damaged by the disease, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

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Eye Tracking for Mobile Control

It's hard sending a text message with arms full of groceries or while wearing winter gloves. Voice control is one alternative to using your fingers, but researchers are also working on other hands-free ways to control mobile devices. A team at Dartmouth College has now created an eye-tracking system that lets a user operate a smart phone with eye movement....

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