In December 2025, Nature Neuroscience published a paper abou…

In December 2025, Nature Neuroscience published a paper about optogenetics. Panel A and B (right): The paper demonstrated a miniaturized, fully implantable transcranial optogenetic neural stimulator, which is shown to the right in panel A. The implanted device is shown in panel B.     Panel C (right): A virus (AAV9) was used to deliver an opsin transgene to the brains of mice. The transgene was a Channelrhodopsin (ChR) gene fused to a fluorescent tag gene (FT). The ChR-FT transgene was driven by a pan-neuronal promoter (PNP).   Panel D (right): Gene expression confirmed that when the lights on the stimulator were switched on, neurons in the mouse brain fired action potentials. The left column shows neurons that are expressing the fluorescent tag (FT). The middle column shows neurons that are expressing a reporter for neuronal activity. The right column is a merge of column 1 and 2.   The expression of which gene could (and was) used as the the neuronal activity reporter in the middle column? Choose the best answer: Which set of panels shows cells when the light is on, or has very recently been on?