title: Shedding Light on Living Cells.
abstract: An overview of the optical methods available to modulate the cellular activity in cell cultures and biological tissues is presented, with a focus on the use of exogenous functional materials that absorb electromagnetic radiation and transduce it into a secondary stimulus for cell excitation, with high temporal and spatial resolution. Both organic and inorganic materials are critically evaluated, for in vitro and in vivo applications. Finally, as a direct practical application of optical-stimulation techniques, the most recent results in the realization of artificial visual implants are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Antognazza
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy.|Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feyen
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy.|Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy.
authors.forename: Duco
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Endeman
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benfenati
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy.|Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D006372:Helix, Snails / Q000502:physiology; D007536:Isomerism; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology; D012666:Semiconductors
keywords: biological interfaces; cell optical excitation; organic semiconductors; photoconductive silicon; retinal prostheses