And in your study, you're frequently using the genetic tools. In fact, you invent new genetic tools to tackle those questions. Could you comment for the students, why do you want to choose genetics? What is the advantage of using the genetic techniques compared with existing other techniques, like biochemistry or functional recordings both electrophysiological or imaging? What is the uniqueness of those genetic tools that enable you to do things that are not possible with other sort of tools? >> Yeah, I mean there are many different ways of approaching science. Using genetic tools is probably my bias partly because I'm trained in genetic model organisms, and I feel that they do indeed they can contribute unique aspects. And in the end, it will be combined with biochemical systems. When you study developmental questions and when you study functional aspect, you need to combine them with imaging, electrophysiology, and behavior. But the reason why, let's take the question of functional circuit dissection. The reason why genetics is powerful is because, let's say in combination with imaging physiology, it allow you to study the property of neurons that are genetically defined, so that you can be studying the same type of neuron from animal to animal to compare experiments from different preparations. So that's why actually a few years ago, we wrote articles with two of my colleagues. They are both physiologists, Karel Svoboda and Edward Callaway. The title is Genetic Dissection of Neural Circuits, and- >> I know, you published it in Neuron. >> Yes, that's a pretty influential, I would say, article. And in it we outline the problems of systems neuroscience that you recall from different neurons each time in different animals. You don't even know in different animals they are recording from the same type of neuron. We know that a lot of the neural circuit operation, the working unit is the type of neurons. So genetics allow us to access specific type of neurons, so that to ensure that every experiment you are doing it on the same type of neurons. >> In a reproduced manner. >> Yes, so we have a section on how genetics allow us to access specific cell types, and then how genetics allow us to do so-called genetic neurophysiology, genetic neuroanatomy, genetic functional analysis. So using cell type is a way to access, and genetics play a very important role in this, whether it's Cree lines, whether it's intersectional, etc. >> And also the genetics because if I perturb in the, for example, the genetic union, the DNA sequence allows one can access the cause and effect for certain gene's controller assembly or wearing of a newer system. >> So one thing is to control genes that give you cause and effect. The other one, in the terms of neurocircuit analysis, instead of regulate controlling particular gene, we are controlling a particular cell type, because genetic tools allow you to target manipulators. You can target let's say channelrhodopsin or halorhodopsin to activate or silence particular population of neurons, or target your recorders, like G-CaMP, so that you can record activities from specific type of neurons. >> So it's a very powerful tool that can integrate with the physiology, with the anatomy to decode the whole system? >> Yeah, yeah. >> And let's switch gear a little bit, talk about the book that you wrote and recently published. >> Yeah. >> So you mentioned in previous events what triggers you to write this book. And what is the uniqueness of this book? Could you tell the students in your opinion? >> Yeah, so I've been teaching neurobiology to Stanford undergraduate students and graduate students since I arrived end of 1996. But I took a year off teaching to get my lab started, so I taught really 1997. So it's been almost 18 years. >> Close to 20 years. >> Close to 20 years. And I find in my own teaching that students are much more interested in learning the discovery process rather than telling them these are the facts. And to me also it's much more interesting for the long-term development of students as scientists that if you tell them what we know now, those knowledge will be outdated in a few years, or a few decades certainly. But if you teach them how we can discover new things, these kind of skills will go with them for much longer. So in my own teaching, I try to teach I try to teach them important concepts, of course, but also how we get to where we are now. So teach them the classical experiments or modern experiments that lead to their understanding now. And I find most of the textbooks are facts based, tell them the authoritative understanding of now. Some of them may be right, a lot of them may be right, but some of them may be wrong, over the years. And actually over my years, I rotated all the textbooks on the market and have not found the one that's suitable for my teaching style. So I decided a few years ago to write a textbook based on my philosophy of teaching students how knowledge is obtained. And also I wanted to write a textbook that integrate a molecular, cellular circuit system behavior, because before it's probably limited by the time that even two decades ago, neuroscience has separate sections on molecular cellular neuroscience, synaptic physiology systems neuroscience because people just work on one but not integrative. In the last I would say 20 years, especially last 10 years, there is a renaissance. Because of technology development, there is really a integration. You can use molecular cellular tools to study circuits to study behavior, and utilizing genetic tools, for instance, we just discussed to integrate these different things. So I think it's time to have a new look of neuroscience from this integration of this different technology perspective, so from all of these. And also another thing which I intend to do is to write a book that is short enough that students can read from cover to cover in that entire semester course. So most of the neuroscience textbooks are, I would say, a little too long for that. So that's another purpose. So my book is about 600 pages. I think for our serious students at least they can read most of it from cover to cover. And I think it's hopefully interesting enough for them to read it because they are discovery stories. And it's easier to go through pages if you are following a story than if the page is filled with facts.
