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Research Matters: Can Neurons Transmit Light?

University of Rochester's Pablo Postigo says there are indications that light can be transmitted through neuron axons.

Apr 17, 2025

1 min

Neurons, the cells in brains and spinal cords that make up the central nervous system, communicate by firing electrical pulses. But scientists have found hints that neurons may transmit light as well, which would profoundly change our current understanding of how the nervous system works.


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Researchers from the University of Rochester have begun an ambitious project to study if living neurons can transmit light through their axons — the long, tail-like nerve fibers of neurons that resemble optical fibers.


“There are scientific papers offering indications that light transport could happen in neuron axons, but there’s still not clear experimental evidence,” says the principal investigator, Pablo Postigo, a professor at the university's Institute of Optics. “Scientists have shown that there is ultra-weak photon emission in the brain, but no one understands why the light is there.”



If light is at play and scientists can understand why, it could have major implications for medically treating brain diseases and drastically change the way physicians heal the brain.


To learn more about Postigo's research, contact him at ppostigo@ur.rochester.edu.

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