Spring 2026 Grantee Highlight:
Evan W. Miller

Evan W. Miller, PhD

Professor, Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

A longstanding goal in neuroscience is the ability to non-invasively and precisely control cellular activity. Opsins, light-activated ion channels from microorganisms, have transformed biological research by enabling precise control of neuronal activity in the brain with visible light. More recently, engineered opsins have entered clinical trials for vision restoration, highlighting their growing potential for therapeutic applications. Despite these advances, identifying opsins with improved speed, sensitivity, and long-wavelength activation remains an important challenge.

The Miller lab, together with collaborators Hillel Adesnik and Stephen Brohawn, will develop a new way to rapidly screen opsins to identify new variants with improved speed, sensitivity, and activation spectra. The team will use long-wavelength voltage-sensitive fluorophores from the Miller lab to rapidly evaluate the performance of opsin mutants and identify variants with enhanced properties, including long-wavelength spectra.

This project will uncover fundamental principles that undergird the structural biology of opsins and the features that govern their performance. The findings will offer new opportunities for exploring cellular- and circuit-level neuroscience and set the stage for transformative interventions to improve human health.

Learn more about the Miller Lab: www.millerchembio.com