Molecular light switches provide insights into the central nervous system

Fluorescent dyes, such as those used in discotheques with black lights or from forensic crime-scene searches for blood traces, play an important role in pharmaceutical research in particular. They can be used to visualize biological structures in fluids, cells or tissues. A team led by neuropharmacologist Margot Ernst from the Medical University of Vienna and theoretical chemist Leticia González from the University of Vienna have conducted a study to investigate the mechanism of a fluorescent dye for neuroscience. The study has now been published in the renowned journal "Angewandte Chemie" [Applied Chemistry]. The pharmaceutical industry has long been trying to provide drugs to help people with neuropsychiatric problems. However, due to the complexity of the brain, many questions still remain unanswered. So-called GABAA receptors are known to play an important role in disorders such as anxiety disorder, epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism.