Category: Tips

Reminder: SfN Short Course

If you like Labrigger, you should register for this Short Course at the SfN meeting.
Short Course #1: Advances in Multineuronal Monitoring of Brain Activity

Spencer Smith will be talking about the work SLAB



Custom scan optics for two-photon imaging

Adrian Negrean, in Huibert Mansvelder’s lab, has been designing and building custom scan optics for two-photon imaging and earlier this year published his work (paper). Labrigger wants to emphasize how nice this paper is. It’s an…



GCaMP6 reporter mice

There are a bunch of GCaMP6 mouse lines out now, from Hongkui Zeng (Ai93, Ai95, Ai96 are available), Cris Niell, GENIE (paper), and others. Have you tried any of these? Labrigger…



Cardboard for prototyping

Anonymous tipster Alfred shared this snapshot of a ThorLabs Quick Bites box repurposed as a project box.

Cardboard isn’t a bad thing to prototype things up with, for example:
Google’s stereoscopic goggles
Relatedly, here’s a microscope…



3D Printing in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 has some interesting built-in support for 3D printing. They’re treating it a lot like 2D printing, even including a print preview.

Labrigger still recommends outsourcing 3D printing because the technology is improving so…



HD-based pipette beveler

From Andrew Hires’ twitter— repurposing an old hard drive for beveling pipettes. Nice!

Hat tip to Tobias…



Brain slice methods

Brain slice methodology is a mix of rational approaches, post hoc rationalized approaches, and plain black magic….



Measuring the junction potential

How to measure the liquid junction potential

This is an old blog post, but the comments section is still somewhat active. Handy reference/training material.



Lightglass Optics – used optomechanics

Lightglass Optics sells surplus optomechanics and other related optics. They have a lot of Newport products, and small amounts of products from Thorlabs, OptoSigma, New Focus, and Line Tool.

For example, here’s an Newport X-Y stage…



Safety first

Lab safety
Laser safety



Open source turbidostat, syringe pump, and more

Jacob Forstater (UNC-Chapel Hill, Physics) shared this tip: The Klavins lab is sharing their materials for this open source turbidostat. The wiki offers detailed plans and well-document construction. Even if you don’t need a turbidostat,…



Software Carpentry teaching programming and data management to scientists

Software Carpentry teaches scientists how to program and use open source tools to manage their data and make their life easier. They’re focussed specifically on software tools, rather than types of analysis, and so what…



AutoHotKey for repetitive tasks

This the favorite tip Labrigger has received this week. Here it is, unedited, and in its entirety:

I often use autohotkey for repetitive file naming and key remapping when I am forced to use clunky software on…



Pitch in and share!

Don’t be shy.
If you have a tip to share, however small or big, please do so using the new link above.

You can do it anonymously, if you like. Or you can get full…



Preserve your rights – Scholar’s Copyright Addendum Engine

Creative Commonsscience section has an easy-to-use web page that generates a PDF form you can attach to the publisher’s copyright form to ensure you reserve certain rights.

More info from Cornell

Previously on Labrigger:…