Estrategias fotoquímicas para el control neuronal

Abstract

Biological processes are regulated with high spatial and temporal resolution. In order to manipulate them and understand the function of certain neural circuits, neuroscience escapes of the classical techniques in search of new opportunities to respond the questions that we can't achieve with these strategies. Light is the only external element that allows us to regulate these processes with precise control of essential parameters such as space, time and amplitude. In this project we will analyze the different techniques of photoregulation, contributing the pros and cons of each of them. The key element of these techniques lies in the photomodulator, starting from its molecular design we can determine important parameters for regulation such as the half-life time of the bioactive compost and the wavelength absorbed by the system. We will focus on the azobenzene molecule and explain the characteristics that we can modify in order to determine the parameters discussed. In addition, another indispensable element is the bioactive ligand, in the project we will work the glutamate ligand with the optimization and synthesis of an agonist molecule of Gluk2 kainate receptors.