The Scintillon Institute Investigator Nathan Shaner Receives The National Science Foundation Grant
Posted by Scintillon Institute on August 18, 2014
The Scintillion Institute’s Nathan Shaner and his collaborator Ute Hochgeschwender at Central Michigan University became recipients of a National Science Foundation (NSF) BRAIN EAGER grant for developing non-invasive optogenetics based on bioluminescence.
The NSF "BRAIN EAGER: Genetically Encoded Light Sources for Non-Invasive Optogenetics” award is for $300,000 over a two-year period.
The investigators will build on the highly innovative concept of combining optogenetics with bioluminescence to explore realization of light-driven genetically targeted neuronal activation and silencing for non-invasive light activation of optogenetic sensors in clinical settings. If successful this will be a key threshold advance that will provide the foundation for new technologies enabling minimally invasive and highly efficient diagnostics and therapies.