Les Houches School of PhysicsSince 1951

Thanks to the development of optogenetics, optical methods have become major tools for studying the neural mechanisms underlying perception, memory and behavior in animal models. Indeed, activity of neural networks can be recorded and modulated with high spatio-temporal precision using fluorescence microscopy and light-shaping strategies. In this school, we will describe the theoretical bases and recent advances of these methods, show the palette of available optogenetic tools and discuss analysis strategies.