Patch clamping

The year’s most impressive achievements include new methods to extend CRISPR editing, patch-clamp neurons hands-free, and analyze the contents of live cells.

Two groups of scientists combined automation with two-photon microscopy to target and record specific neurons in living animals. 

Imaging and manipulating the brain has come a long way from electrodes and the patch clamp, though such traditional tools remain essential.

Optical techniques for monitoring action potentials