This sparkling video shows the neurotransmitter glutamate being released into synapses.
Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, yet measuring it at synapses (where neurons connect and communicate with each other) can be difficult because synapses are tiny and communicate very, very quickly.
Researchers from the Allen Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), UC San Diego, and more developed an indicator for detecting and measuring this important neurotransmitter. This particular indicator shown below, dubbed iGluSnFR3, is a protein that fluoresces (glows under a special light) when it binds to glutamate.
Not only does it create beautiful videos like this, but it also allows researchers to collect more and better data on how neurons connect and interact across the brain.
This sparkling video shows the neurotransmitter glutamate being released into synapses.
Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, yet measuring it at synapses (where neurons connect and communicate with each other) can be difficult because synapses are tiny and communicate very, very quickly.
Researchers from the Allen Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), UC San Diego, and more developed an indicator for detecting and measuring this important neurotransmitter. This particular indicator shown below, dubbed iGluSnFR3, is a protein that fluoresces (glows under a special light) when it binds to glutamate.
Not only does it create beautiful videos like this, but it also allows researchers to collect more and better data on how neurons connect and interact across the brain.