A Resource Toolbox for Imaging Membrane Voltage of Mammalian Cells

Protein indicators had been widely used for monitoring biological signals in vivo, out of which Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators (GEVIs) are a promising new technology for monitoring electrical activity in the brain noninvasively with high spatiotemporal resolution. GEVIs fundamentally work by changing their brightness in response to changes in membrane potential. As a relatively new technology, thus there is room for further optimization of GEVI to expand their versatility and applications. We present here a newly designed GEVI called Jellyfish-derived Electricity-reporting Designer Indicator (JEDI) with significantly improved brightness and responsivity as compared to other commonly used GEVIs. JEDIs can be readily expressed in several different host systems through plasmid or virus delivery, enabling a broad range of applications.