A growing tool kit of viruses makes it possible to express genes in select cell types of the brain and spinal cord. Data on some of the adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are provided in the Allen Institute’s Genetic Tools Atlas, which launched in September, and some of the viruses are available to buy. The tools could help reveal how cell types contribute to cortical functions and neurological conditions, according to a series of preprints posted on bioRxiv in the past 14 months.
Through their systematic and careful work, researchers at the Allen Institute have created viruses to target almost any cell type in any brain region, says Botond Roska, founding director and senior group leader at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, who was not involved in the work. “It’s very, very significant,” he adds.
