Light-activated nerve cells

 Understanding the causes of anxiety, depression.Anxiety and depression are two of the most frequently occurring mental disorders worldwide. Light-activated nerve cells may indicate how they are formed, report scientists.

Source: Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum

By coupling nerve cell receptors to light-sensitive retinal pigments, Prof Dr Olivia Masseck researches into the causes of anxiety and depression. For more than 60 years, researchers have been hypothesising that the diseases are caused by, among other factors, changes to the level of the neurotransmitter. "Unfortunately, it is very difficult to understand how the serotonin system works," says Masseck, who became junior professor for Super-Resolution Fluorescence Microscopy at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) in April 2016.