About this item
What if neuroscientists could look inside the human brain and watch individual brain cells send signals to one another? What if they could then control these brain cells to direct thoughts and actions? This may sound like science fiction, but it's actually a scientific revolution called optogenetics. Neuroscientists would like to use this new technology on human brains to uncover secrets about how the brain processes information and drives human behavior. Doctors hope to use optogenetics to restore sight and to treat Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, and other debilitating or deadly health problems. Discover how the innovative work of leaders in the field is poised to radically transform science, medicine, and human health.
About the Author
Marc Zimmer (@lightupscience) was born in a small town in South Africa. He wanted to be a game warden when he grew-up, but his mother wanted him to be a medical doctor. Although his handwriting is worthy of prescription pads he went to university with the intent of becoming game ranger. However, his dreams of looking after herds of elephants were terminated by an introductory botany course, which he failed. Fortunately he discovered the joy and fascination of playing with molecules. This resulted in a change in majors from biology to chemistry. While at the University of Witwatersrand he somehow managed to pass chemistry and find his future wife, Dianne, or perhaps she found him. Partly out of interest and partly out of a need to avoid the South African (apartheid) military service he came to the United States, where he got his Ph.D. in chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and did his post-doc at Yale University. He has been at Connecticut College for the last 20 years where he teaches chemistry and studies the proteins involved in producing light in jellyfish and fireflies. He has given talks about his research in India, Cuba, South Africa, all over Europe and the United States of America. Marc is married, has two children, Matthew and Caitlin, and 3 genetically modified fluorescent axolotls called Pliny, Edgar and Maximillian. He is currently working on a book entitled "Illuminating Disease". Marc has published over 60 research papers about cow flatulence, computational chemistry and bioluminescence in fireflies and jellyfish. His research on Green Fluorescent Protein is funded by the Research Corporation, Dreyfus Foundation and National Institute of Health.
