Binghamton University researcher Christof Grewer thinks he has an important brain transport protein -- glutamate transporter -- figured out. And he’s using a novel approach to spy on them by taking aim with lasers. Grewer, a biophysical chemist, studies glutamate transport proteins, miniscule components of our brains that move glutamate among cells. Glutamate, an important molecule in cellular metabolism, is also a neurotransmitter. He explains his research on these tiny proteins in the brain using an analogy: imagine never having seen a car before and trying to determine what makes the vehicle run.
