# Illuminating calcium and potassium dynamics with red fluorescent sensors

## TL;DR

New red fluorescent sensors allow better tracking of calcium and potassium in living brains.

## Contribution

Development of red fluorescent genetically encoded indicators for calcium and potassium.

## Key findings

- Red fluorescent indicators for calcium and potassium were engineered.
- These indicators extend the optical toolkit for studying ion dynamics in the brain.

## Abstract

A pair of recent studies in PLOS Biology introduces red fluorescent genetically encoded indicators for calcium and potassium, extending the optical toolkit for tracking these essential signals in the living brain.

Despite recent advances in green genetically encoded ion indicators, developments in red-shifted indicators have been slower. This Primer explores two recent studies in PLOS Biology that engineer red fluorescent indicators for visualizing potassium and calcium ion dynamics in culture and in vivo.