Creating Psychedelic-Like Molecules by Shining Light on Life's Basic Building Blocks

UC Davis team creates new class of serotonin-effecting drugs

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

Creating psychedelic-like molecules by shining light on life's basic building blocks

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

Creating Hallucination-free, Psychedelic-like Molecules by Shining Light on Life’s Basic Building Blocks

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain. Like psychedelics, these molecules activate the brain’s serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, which promote cortical neuron growth, and could be candidates to treat a host of brain disorders, such as depression, substance-use di…