Advice from the Field
An archive of useful tweets from science twitter
We have had some success using @PlexonNeurosci Helios for wireless opto
— Amy Wolff (@wolff51n) December 5, 2023
My fellow Neuro tweeps (at least, those that remain here)- I humbly seek advice.
— Stan Floresco (@dr_stan) July 31, 2023
*Can anyone recommend antibodies for labeling D1 and D2 receptors, along with recommended incubation times? My impression is that D1 ABs can be problematic. Any advice would be most appreciated
Neuroscientists: are you looking for a place to ask (or answer) questions about methods in neuroscience?
— El Duvelle 🌍🐀 (@ElDuvelle) June 1, 2023
Come and join the NeuroMethods slack! Great replacement for what used to be #NeuroTwitter.
Example topics:#Ephys #CalciumImaging #Behaviour #Optogenetics #DataAnalysis
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PhDs working outside of academia: what % of the job description requirements do you meet for your current role?
— Academic Exit (@academic_exit) April 26, 2023
Inquiring minds (of PhDs still in academe) want to know.
if i'm starting a lab, what type of pipette is best?
— Dr. Caroline Bartman (@Caroline_Bartma) April 17, 2023
i don't have strong personal preferences- is there a kind that last longer or stays calibrated best?
What in the noise is this?? On some trials, not all, when my rat licks at the reward port i get these huge amp waves coincident with the licks, likely for the duration that his tongue is in contact with the milk. Some sort of ground / capacitance issue? Thoughts #ephystwitter ? pic.twitter.com/BABSPF9OR4
— Blake Porter 🐀 (@BlakeP_Neuro) October 3, 2022
Recommendation for best GCaMP7 virus for miniscops and fiber photometry #neurotwitter #AcademicTwitter
— Maria Olvera Caltzontzin (@mariajoseoc2) August 26, 2022
If you were start learning Python from a standing start with little programming background, what would you use?
— Gavin Buckingham IS WORKING TO CONTRACT (@DrGBuckingham) June 16, 2022
We decided the best way to incorporate advice from Twitter into the lab is to print the tweets and put them by the relevant pieces of equipment #TheLabEdit
— Tina Termini (@CterminiPhD) August 9, 2022
Any random lab wisdom? Real, surreal, and unreal guidance accepted.
Thanks for the PCR machine advice, @BStevensonLab pic.twitter.com/JlU00yplba
Folks. If you have an AAV-delivered tool that has verified expression in mice, can you assume that it reliably works in rats? If not, who would you blame? AAV Serotype? Promoter? Tool (opsin/indicator etc?). Thanks!
— Ali Mohebi (@mohebial) February 22, 2022
What one tip would you give new-starting PhD students?
— Academic Chatter™ (@AcademicChatter) February 17, 2022
Has anyone used the axon targeted gcamp variants in rats for fiber photometry? I tried syn-gcamp8s but had no luck. I've noticed many people have previously used syn-gcamp6s successfully in mice but not sure if there's reason to believe 6s would work better than 8s?
— Michael S Totty, PhD (@MicTott) February 25, 2022
Are you doing ephys with optogenetics and are having issues with light-induced artifacts? I learned this great trick from @SteinmetzNeuro, it either completely solves the artifact or greatly reduces it. (1/3)
— Guido Meijer (@guido_meijer) February 16, 2022
Systems neuroscientists, is there any piece of equipment you really like and recommend? Nothing too expensive please so don’t say 2P.
— Yin lab (@HenryYin19) February 11, 2022
I’ve still got time left in grad school but I’ve been thinking about career options both in and outside academia. Anyone have any tips on figuring out what sorts of #altac careers are out there for neuro PhDs or perhaps how you found your current job? DMs also open. Thanks!! 😊
— Alex Lamparelli (@alexlamparelli) January 11, 2022
Naive question: What is the best way to assess depression-like behavioural phenotypes in mice? We seem to be moving away from things like forced swim, tail suspension etc. What are the most robust, widely appreciated assays? Bonus if linked to hippocampal neurogenesis.
— Paul Frankland (@Franklandlab) October 12, 2021
Labs with 3D printers!
— Dr. Maddie Ray (@maddiehray) September 10, 2021
What are the most useful items you've printed? I've looked into head caps, tube holders, behavioral chamber parts, etc. but would love more ideas!
Question for all my friends that do brain slice ephys: do you use animals or recorded neurons as replicates in your experiments? We’ve done neurons (report n neurons/n animals), but three journals now have asked that we collapse on animal (average all neurons/animal). Thoughts?
— Brady Atwood (@BradyAtwood) October 18, 2021
Which animal model is hardest to work on?
— Leor Katz (@Leorkatz) September 30, 2021
Folks who do single unit ephys recordings in freely behaving rats (we use @PlexonNeurosci) what programs do you use to analyze your ephys data. I’m not teaching this fall 🎉 so I have some time to finally (!) learn some coding
— Susan Sangha, PhD (@sanghalab) March 10, 2018
What’s the next big thing in neuroscience? Transformative paradigm, technique, etc. Serious q
— Cian O'Donnell (@cian_neuro) February 1, 2021
Poll for rodent behavioral neuroscientists, esp in learning & memory fields - do you conduct your experiments during the animal’s light cycle or dark cycle? Have you ever tried both and observed a difference in behavioral outcomes?
— Dr Becca, PhD 🐘 (@doc_becca) July 9, 2021
Neuroscience friends!
— Dr. Maddie Ray (@maddiehray) July 19, 2021
Who is doing single-unit recordings in mice? Where do you buy your electrodes from?
Thanks in advance!
Here are a few of the graphics that scientists are regularly asked to make:
— Maayan Harel - Visual storytelling for science! (@maayanvisuals) June 30, 2021
Visual Abstracts
Posters
Experiment setups
Schematics
Presentation slides
Did your university ever provide you with any design training? @AcademicChatter #AcademicTwitter #phd
Question for all my friends that do brain slice ephys: do you use animals or recorded neurons as replicates in your experiments? We’ve done neurons (report n neurons/n animals), but three journals now have asked that we collapse on animal (average all neurons/animal). Thoughts?
— Brady Atwood (@BradyAtwood) October 18, 2021
How many labs have you worked in? (Rotations and internships count!)
— Dr. Caroline Bartman (@Caroline_Bartma) January 21, 2022
How many labs have you worked in? (Rotations and internships count!)
— Dr. Caroline Bartman (@Caroline_Bartma) January 21, 2022
When I was about to start looking for potential advisors for my PhD, I sat down to think about what I wanted in a graduate experience, lab, and advisor and what I valued.
— Paola Figueroa-Delgado (@PaolaVFigueroa) October 2, 2020
I asked advisors the following questions before deciding whether to rotate and/or join:
Infographic👇 pic.twitter.com/VBp7oPT7ZM
Has anyone ever run med associates operant chambers using something other than med associates interface and software?
— Reggie Cannady (@CannadyPhD) April 22, 2021
How long does it take you to produce a full first draft of a paper? @AcademicChatter #AcademicTwitter #PhDChat pic.twitter.com/jBEczhTTh3
— Sophia Fedorowicz (@Soph_Fedorowicz) February 8, 2021
Must read. Awesome job @TheErinCalipari and friends - love the tenor - https://t.co/8z8PH2cYaT
— Alex Shackman (@ajshackman) April 29, 2021
Neurotweeps: What are your thoughts on robotic stereotaxic instruments (e.g., Neurostar)? What is the good, the bad, and the ugly? Anyone using for GRIN lens implants in rats?
— Steve Maren 🐀🧠💭😨 (@StephenMaren) June 15, 2021
Neurotwitter: the whole spiking data / single neuron world seems sorta wild, with lots of options for spike sorting, analysis approaches, statistical tests, etc.
— Tom Donoghue (@Tomdonoghue) May 10, 2021
Anyone have favourite resources (guides / tools / method comparisons / formatting recommendations, etc) to recommend?
Lab question: Bio-Serv’s dustless precision pellets seem to be backordered. Anyone use 20mg pellets (mouse operant chamber) from another company that may be available in different flavors? (That may be able to ship quickly?) Thanks! 🐭
— Lindsay Halladay (@LindsayHalladay) February 9, 2021
What's the catchphrase from your PhD supervisor that stuck with you and you hold it in as a lemma?
— Ricardo Henriques (@HenriquesLab) May 11, 2021
Any friends out there doing in vivo ephys? Are motorized commutators really necessary? I use a swivel commutator for opto and thought that would be sufficient….
— Neuro_y_Moe (@MoeNeuro) January 9, 2024
Do you use #neuropixels or #highdensity probes? Are your recordings filling up your hard drives?
— Alessio Buccino (@buccino_alessio) June 5, 2023
We got you covered!
In the first preprint from @AllenInstitute for Neural Dynamics, we looked at ways to reduce the footprint of #ephys data.https://t.co/sH1Lt5k3Xw
(1/n) pic.twitter.com/OYBRGp1NS6
PhD students, how do you deal with writer's block when working on your dissertation? Let's share and learn together.
— Academic Chatter™ (@AcademicChatter) June 6, 2023
Question for folks who read in vivo ephys papers: what quality control standards would benefit the field? Do you worry about unit isolation, stability/drift, epileptiform activity, noise levels? Large scale recordings are now common but not sure we have agreed on standards.
— Anne Churchland (@anne_churchland) May 18, 2023
The idea of entering the job market this fall is exciting but also nerve racking. Grad school does not prepare you for this. What are some of your best tips? Where do you look for job openings? Is having grant funding a determining factor? What do selection committees look for ?
— Anny Reyes, PhD (@annyreyesNeuro) April 18, 2023
Hi all, I would like to do some ephys on striatum-projecting neurons and was wondering which fluorescent retro labeling method was best? Focus will be on cortical and midbrain neurons. Also, would be great if it is compatible with PFA fixation. Thanks!
— Armando Salinas (@NeuroSalinas) April 16, 2023
One hard part of leading a research group is balancing pressures to produce 'paradigm shifting' science, publish in a timely manner to show productivity/disseminate results, meet lab member training goals & advance projects to get/keep funding. IME, these can be at odds. 🧵
— Siegenthaler_Lab (@SiegenthalerLab) April 13, 2023
Is the paper you need stuck behind a paywall?
— Dr Lisa Nivison-Smith (@LNivisonSmith) October 5, 2022
Five websites every researcher should know to access any research paper for free@AcademicChatter@OpenAcademics
Science twitter poll: what is the optimal length of time that a poster walk-through should take at a conference poster session?
— Jeremy Day (@DayLabUAB) September 8, 2022
Anybody sterilize their in vivo ephys implants?
— James Hyman (@JamesMHyman) August 24, 2022
*** Hyperdrive Spreadsheet for #Electrophysiologists Initiated! ***
— El Duvelle 🌍🐀 (@ElDuvelle) August 22, 2022
Goals:
- see how other scientists build & implant drives for tetrode & probe electrophysiology
- try to link building / surgery parameters to specific problems
- open to all!
➡️https://t.co/aQzHUtGZwo
1/5 pic.twitter.com/mRW3fDwzAU
STEM researchers! How many years did you post doc before you were able to get a TT faculty position? Please also state if you are a woman or are from an underrepresented group (incl LGBTQ2S+)! 8 years, Indigenous woman.
— Melissa Perreault, PhD (@Dr_Perreault) May 3, 2022
People who do stereotaxic virus surgeries in mice, I'm thinking of upgrading (or replacing) a standard Kopf stereotax for better accuracy of placement and expression. What would make the most impact? Type of needle? Motorized controls? Other? @PavlovSociety @learning_memory
— Karyn Frick (@FrickKaryn) June 15, 2022
Does anyone have tips for visualizing the location of recording probes for in vivo recordings? We have tried DiI and find that it does not visualize tracts deeper than a few hundred microns. Tips on coating procedures or dyes appreciated!!
— Aryn Gittis (@ArynGittis) May 2, 2022
Does anyone have a good way to batch process @MedAssociates .txt files? There must be something more efficient than the MED-PC To Excel program…@JordanYorgason @TheErinCalipari @mattjwanat @DavidBarker_PhD @HowardDopamine @MATLAB
— d_p_cove (@dp_covey) February 11, 2022
Unsolicited advice for new Beh Neuro PIs. Make an analysis workflow that includes a visual summary of each day's behavioral data. Visualize every day. (1) You will catch issues as they happen. Visualizing data has saved us many times. (2) It is SUPER GRATIFYING.
— Mike McDannald (@mikemcdannald) February 8, 2022
There is a lot of anecdotal information about optogenetic and chemogenetic tools not working, or not working very well, for silencing synaptic terminals. We decided to try and collect this information to better understand which approaches were tested, and how well they work.
— Ofer Yizhar (@OferYizhar) February 20, 2022
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Best location for a scientific meeting? ⛷️🏖️🏙️
— Steve Maren 🐀🧠💭😨 (@StephenMaren) February 3, 2022
Can someone recommend a good Flp-dependent ChR2? (fDIO-ChR2)?
— Aryn Gittis (@ArynGittis) January 26, 2022
Hi All, we're new to Twitter. Could you help my lab get connected with the neuroscience and mental health community? Brain stimulation and other neuromodulation techniques, electrophysiology, neuroimaging. We want to hear about it all! Thanks!
— Keller Lab @ Stanford (@KellerStanfordU) February 7, 2022
What's something every prospective PhD student should know or read before deciding on joining a lab?
— Patrick Mineault (@patrickmineault) January 27, 2022
Ahem! I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming complaining about everything that’s wrong in the world to ask a specific science question:
— Dr. Talia Lerner (@TaliaLerner) January 24, 2022
Has anyone done Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) in mice and have some advice for us in setting this up?
I'm applying for PhD programs this fall, and I think this week is the PERFECT week to ask the @BlackInNeuro community:
— Nicole 🧠🔬 (@nick_does_neuro) July 27, 2021
What do you love about your PhD program and what do you think made you a good fit for the school you chose? #BIN21#BlackInNeuro #BlackInNeuroWeek
Here are a few of the graphics that scientists are regularly asked to make:
— Maayan Harel - Visual storytelling for science! (@maayanvisuals) June 30, 2021
Visual Abstracts
Posters
Experiment setups
Schematics
Presentation slides
Did your university ever provide you with any design training? @AcademicChatter #AcademicTwitter #phd
Ephys Twitter, I need your help! How do you test if you're recording the same neuron over days?
— Dr. Emily A. Aery Jones (@EmilyAeryJones) January 27, 2021
What’s the next big thing in neuroscience? Transformative paradigm, technique, etc. Serious q
— Cian O'Donnell (@cian_neuro) February 1, 2021
SOS how can I keep my rat from unplugging himself? Lab tape and electrical tape were both a no go.
— Jamie Krueger, PhD (@jamienkrueger) September 8, 2021
Which animal model is hardest to work on?
— Leor Katz (@Leorkatz) September 30, 2021
I'm applying for PhD programs this fall, and I think this week is the PERFECT week to ask the @BlackInNeuro community:
— Nicole 🧠🔬 (@nick_does_neuro) July 27, 2021
What do you love about your PhD program and what do you think made you a good fit for the school you chose? #BIN21#BlackInNeuro #BlackInNeuroWeek
In vivo electrophysiologists. Can we have a conversation about grounds & references? What kind of wire do you use? How do you decide which brain region is a neutral ground? Do you use a reference wire? Why/why not? I use bare steel in cerebellum, ref shorted to ground
— Sam McKenzie (@samamckenzie) January 25, 2021
what software do you use for spike sorting?
— Justin Kiggins (@neuromusic) September 15, 2017
Hey people doing in vivo opto in mammals, what are you using for light sources these days? I would like to move away from DPSS lasers for my lab's set up.
— Benjamin Saunders (@BenSaunders) August 14, 2018
Idea: journal clubs should limit their scope to preprints and post their reviews as public comments on their respective Rxiv preprint server. The more I'm in Science, the more I understand journals as a false and lazy metric Academia uses to misjudge scientist's work.
— PhiloNeuroSci📚👨🏿🔬🧠🧫🔬🧬💻📊📈📉 (@PhiloNeuroSci) April 29, 2021
when doing optogenetic neural stimulation (e.g. monkey), close to light guide there is most photon flow and it decays with distance. At which distance does stimulation induce most spikes (#neurons*#deltaSpikes)?
— KordingLab 🦖 (@KordingLab) June 8, 2021
How many 1st author papers from postdoc are needed to be considered “productive” “competitive” for a K99 nowadays? Things have changed since mine in 2011/2012 cycle.
— Dr.KaczorowskiLab (@KaczorowskiLab) April 22, 2021