CNIFERS: CELL-BASED BIOSENSORS WITH NANOMOLAR SENSITIVITY TO IN VIVO CHANGES IN NEUROMODULATION

Neuromodulators, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, endocannabinoids and neuropeptides, all produce profound effects on circuits that control animal behavior. Perturbation of neuromodulation is implicated in several different brain disorders that include substance abuse and dependence, depression, and severe anxiety. A major obstacle to studying the effect of neuromodulators in the brain has been the inability to detect their release in vivo with sufficient sensitivity, chemical specificity, and spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we describe the development of new tools for detecting neuropeptides and other neuromodulators.