Live Decision was in an impromptu screening of a live synaptic terminal in the muscles of Drosophila Neuromuscular Synapses expressing presynaptic syn-GCAMP6f. GCaMP is one of the most widely used calcium indicators in neuronal imaging and calcium cell biology. When calcium is present, this GCAMP fusion calcium indicator undergoes a conformational change and GFP fluorescence is activated from quenched status. Ostensibly, here a blink is seen every time a functionally active presynaptic synaptic site, so to say, speaks to the postsynaptic site conferring exchange of information or a decision. Hence one-blink is a microscopic live screening of one decision being made by one synapse in real time.

It was my goal to show the audience what a single decision looks like in a living nervous system and how millions of these together control our everyday behavior.