19 October 2020

Optogenetics allows to control cellular function with light. For this, specific genes encoding light-sensitive proteins are expressed in cells, which allows precise activation and inhibition of neurons. The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is a model organism in genetics and has contributed largely to our understanding of neuronal networks and the role that specific neurons play for behaviour. While neuronal function can be controlled precisely via optogenetics, current light sources for stimulation typically lack resolution, are bulky and expensive. We have now developed a smartphone app that transforms the smartphone display into a light source for optogenetics. Together with researchers from the University of Leipzig, we provide evidence for stimulation of Drosophila larvae using different Channelrhodopsins and addressing various sets of cells. Furthermore, by displaying spatially restricted light patterns, we constrained and guided larvae on the display. The work has been published in Scientific Reports and the smartphone app is available from our Github repository. We recommend trying it in your research and for teaching activities!