This post was written by Abhi Aggarwal, from University of Calgary. Over the past few decades, genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have become a vital tool in neuroscience research. These fluorescent proteins light up in response to calcium, which is more than just ...
Calcium is arguably one of the most important metal ions in biology (sodium and potassium are up there too!). Calcium is fundamental to muscle and nerve function, hormone secretion, blood clotting, and as we all know, a structural component of bones and teeth. It is an enzyme ...
Here at Addgene’s headquarters, the skies are getting dark and wintry with the end of year approaching. We’re always looking for something to brighten our day, whether it’s memories of summer or just a bright new plasmid. One area with lots of bright new plasmids is our ...
This post was originally written by Tyler Ford in 2018. It was updated by guest blogger Abhi Aggarwal in 2022. Recent updates to iGluSnFR and SF-iGluSnFR have made it clear that it’s time to update our iGluSnFR post! Here, we look at the origins of the system and explore ...
Feelings of delight associated with the brain’s reward circuits are generally linked to dopamine (DA), a well-known reward chemical and neurotransmitter. But aside from DA’s famous role as the “happy hormone,” it’s also involved in reinforcement learning, decision making, and ...
