With Digital Light Projection and genetic engineering, we can study photosensitive nerve cells in vitro. Doctors, neuroscientists, and biomedical engineers could one day use data derived from these experiments to gain greater understanding of the nervous system.

First, a technique using LabView, BX61WI microscope, and a DMD chip was developed to let the user shine appropriate wavelengths of light into a cell culture cover slip in spatially targeted patterns. This can be applied to genetically engineered photosensitive nerve cells to study single and multi-site currents generated based on spatial light modulation.