Neural engineering rewires the brain using light to change behaviour

A way to link unconnected neurons in the brain and change an organism’s behaviour, dubbed neural engineering, could one day help treat spinal injuries.

There is already a technique for manipulating neurons with light, known as optogenetics, that been used for a variety of purposes, such as controlling the movement of nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans). But using this method in vertebrates, including humans, requires invasive surgical procedures so the light can reach specific brain cells.

Michael Krieg at the Institute of …