Neuroscience is a field where much still needs to be learned and for that, technology development is increasingly necessary. Recent developments have greatly expanded our capacity to visualize the activity of neurons using genetically encoded fluorescent probes and optogenetic tools now enable precise modulation of this activity.

But the brain is contained in a protective skull and peeking into it is usually an invasive process. In this month’s editorial we discuss recent technical developments and future prospects that will take us a step closer to a minimally invasive form of ‘transcranial neuroscience’. Despite the big progress, much work remains but we are hopeful that with the right technology and motivation, the field will soon approach the holy grail of performing non-invasive cellular-level functional studies of the entire brain.

Any thoughts about this? Tell us what’s on your mind!