Both photogenetics and chemical genetics are the techniques for artificially regulating the activity of neurons. They emerged at the beginning of
this century and the 1990s respectively. The main routes of the two technologies
are similar. It is through genetic that lead neurons in the target brain region
express photosensitive ion channel proteins or artificial receptor proteins. Then
the activity of recombinant channel protein was affected by external stimulation.
So as to change the generation and inhibition of neuronal action potential.
Finally, the changes of animal behavior were observed, and the relationship
between the changes of animal behavior and the activity of neurons in the brain
was discussed. In other words, the purpose of technology is to analyze the brain
mechanism of psychology or behavior. The use of this kind of technology often
depends on other biological tools, such as the recombinant adeno-associated
virus needed to make brain neurons express exogenous photosensitive ion
channel protein or artificial receptor protein, and the transgenic technology
related to Cre mice. In addition, photogenetics and chemical genetics are very
popular in behavioral neuroscience, but their applications are not limited
to this. They can also be used in many fields such as intracellular signal
transduction, disease research or drug design. Although there are still some
shortcomings in this technology, there are also advantages cannot be covered
up. It has considerable potential in the research of behavioral neuroscience and
the treatment of neurological and mental diseases in the future.