Chemogenetics, particularly through the use of Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), is a powerful technique in neuroscience for controlling neuronal activity in freely behaving animals. DREADDs are engineered G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that can be activated by specific, otherwise inert, synthetic ligands. This allows for a high degree of control over the activation or inhibition of specific neuronal populations.

In your lab, you can use this technique to selectively modulate neuronal activity. For instance, by introducing DREADD receptors into specific neural tissues, you can achieve transient and repeatable interventions in brain dynamics. This is achieved upon the application of ligands such as clozapine-n-oxide (CNO) or newer more specific ligands, which are otherwise inert but can activate these specially designed receptors.

Notably, DREADDs can be expressed in a cell-type-specific manner, enabling precise targeting of specific neuron populations. For instance, they can be used to manipulate specific subtypes of neurons, like inhibitory neurons, in the medial septum. This level of specificity is crucial for dissecting the neural underpinnings of complex behaviors and disease states.

Overall, chemogenetics through the use of DREADDs provides a robust method for the reversible manipulation of neuronal activity, complementing other techniques like optogenetics but with the added advantage of not requiring light for activation, thus offering a different dimension of control in behavioral neuroscience studies.