Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:58pm on 06 Oct 2026,Tuesday Science
Light-controlled brain cells are in the spotlight after the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth of Stanford, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics. The technique began with light-sensitive proteins in a tiny alga and lets researchers switch specific neurons on or off with light. Deisseroth's lab published the seminal paper in 2005. Now an Indian scientist is using the tool to study pain. Dr Arnab Barik of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru works in mice to map the brain circuits behind pain, itch and stress, and to study what happens when those sensations fade. (PC: X)
