The idea of using light to control neurons has opened multiple research paths in recent years. This concept of optogenetics could help experts understand the complex mechanisms behind certain diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Although optogenetics has not yet been tested in humans, a group of researchers at Stanford University have been working with mice, altering their movements using devices based on wireless energy transmission.
Imagine a mouse that can be ordered to walk in circles. Without sufficient details, anyone could interpret this as a kind of mind control, but if we try to be more precise, I think the correct expression would be neuronal control. To exert that control, a brain interface is needed, and its main resource is light. By using light, scientists can activate specific neural circuits and study the effects on both the behavior and general biology of the mouse. That leaves us in the territory of optogenetics, but there are other details to consider.
Bringing Light to the Brain
Bringing light to the brain is not exactly simple, and there is also the ever-present matter of energy. Previous developments required external batteries, however, at Stanford University they took another path. In essence, we are talking about wireless energy transmission, which we have seen in many mobile devices with support for contactless chargers. This energy in the form of radio waves comes from a resonance chamber installed at the bottom of the cage. The chamber was designed based on the parameters of a mouse's body, so that every time it came into contact with the upper grid, it became an antenna.
The Role of a Green Alga
With this technique, scientists managed to preserve the mouse's movement and social interaction, without sacrificing the ability to issue commands. How exactly do they do that? With the help of a unicellular green alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) that can swim toward light sources thanks to a special protein. The gene associated with that protein is inserted into the DNA of neurons in the mouse's brain, thus enabling their remote control. I insist that there is still a long time and work needed to test something like this in humans, but the potential is enormous.
