A higher-tech open syringe pump
Posted in Hardware
Theo Walker has a very nice open syringe pump design that has some advantages over another open syringe pump project we’ve covered (though the latter is less expensive).
…
Cheap microcontrollers
Posted in Hardware
This post is by Koen Vervaeke.
Cheap microcontrollers like Arduino or Raspberries are great devices to orchestrate behavior experiments. They don’t have however high voltage outputs to directly drive valves, servomotors, etc which…
The commoditization of image sensors
Posted in Hardware
About 25 years ago, pro-level audio recording technology was prohibitively expensive for home studios. Then, digital audio technology like the Alesis ADAT enabled working class musicians to produce high fidelity recordings. The…
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….
Drop-in cage system from Newport
Posted in Hardware
Newport has expanded their cage system offerings. We’ve teased them in the past, but this looks nice. Thorlabs has a few components that can be dropped into a completed…
We get mail
Posted in Uncategorized
On the same day I was invited to the White House Conference on the BRAIN Initiative, we also received a personal letter from a man serving a life sentence for a triple homicide. Nicely,…
Scheme-it: online schematics integrated with Digikey
Scheme-it is an online electronics schematics/design tool that is integrated with Digikey’s catalog. This way, you can skip a step and go directly from design to order, without having to spend time sourcing…
MISUMI for customized parts
Posted in Hardware
When fabricating custom parts, starting from raw materials gives you flexibility. However, it is time consuming and design changes can mean starting from scratch. It’s faster if you can find some part off the shelf…
GCaMP6 reporter mice
Posted in Tips
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…
SfN 2014 – Barrels XXVII registration
Posted in Uncategorized
There’s still time to register for Barrels XXVII.
Register
Dendritic Processing in Somatosensory and Visual Cortices
Moderator: Robert Sachdev, Yale University/Charité-Berlin
Arthur Konnnerth, Technische Universität München
Matthew Larkum, Humboldt Universität Berlin
Jeff Magee,…
SfN Short Courses – Advanced techniques
Posted in Uncategorized
Sign up now for SfN Short Courses. In addition to the excellent material that is covered, these workshops can be a great opporunity to make new connections with like-minded people– scientists with the…
Cubehelix color scheme
Posted in Software
Cubehelix is a color scheme that retains contrast as it is desaturated (top), as opposed to a more typical rainbow scheme (bottom). It’s great for look-up-tables (LUTs).
Dave Green’s web site has multiple…
Personal laser cutter
Posted in Hardware
It’s easy to underestimate the implications of running a laser cutter. Toxic fumes, tons of space occupied (machine and stock materials), breakdowns. It’s maybe not worth it since there are so many companies that will…
OpenTrons – liquid handling robots for high throughput
Posted in Hardware
OpenTrons is a project to develop an open architecture for liquid handling lab robots. Actually, they’re more versatile than that. They can also be used for related robotic tasks, such as pick-and-place machines. They…