Nanotechnology in Neuroscience Reveals Membrane Mobility Matters.

Quantum dots are nanometer-sized semiconductors that have size-tunable, narrow emission bands, high quantum yields, and are resistant to photobleaching. Ligand-conjugated quantum dots enable the real time visualization of membrane proteins and have revealed that membrane diffusion dynamics are intrinsic to protein regulation, are susceptible to the level of membrane cholesterol, and are altered in genetic variants linked to disease, suggesting a mise en place approach to neuropsychopharmacology.