Following Protocol
We strive to have information relevant to scientists, not just Plexon users, & not just about Plexon equipment.
Amping Up Illumination: Maximizing LED Performance
There are several advantages to using LEDs versus lasers for optogenetics. LEDs are safer, come in more wavelengths, and are much less expensive than lasers. However, this all comes with the tradeoff that LEDs are less powerful. That is, they produce fewer milliwatts (mWs) of light compared to lasers. Therefore, when using LEDs, it is necessary to optimize the light path to ensure that the required amount of power reaches the brain region of interest to activate the opsin.
Should AI Be Used in Publications?
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, its potential to aid in various stages of scientific publishing has sparked interest and debate within the scientific community.
Electrode Impedance: What it is, and How it Affects the Quality of Electrophysiological Signals and Electrical Stimulation – An Explanation for Non-Engineers
Electrodes, as the name implies, are electrical devices, even if passive ones, and therefore their performance is affected in several ways by electrical impedance.
Beyond the Spikes: Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electromyography (EMG) in Animal Research
Electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) are techniques used in a wide range of animal research disciplines to investigate brain function, muscle activity, and their involvement in health and disease.
Principal Component Analysis for Unit Sorting: What It Tells Us and What It Does Not
Principal component, or PC, is a term that people encounter when sorting units in Offline Sorter. It is a common visualization to graph the first two principal components as the X and Y axes in a feature-based cluster graph.
Introduction to Large Scale Neural Recording with SiNAPS and OmniPlex HD
Recent developments in neural interface technologies are leading a path to ever more detailed exploration of neural functions. Miniaturization and increases in electrode resolution and density are the major factors supporting the growth of brain research.
Finding the Perfect Fit: A Guide to Choosing the Right Research Lab
Choosing the right research lab to join can be a daunting task for any graduate student or postdoc. Your decision can have a significant impact on your research career and even your personal life.
Spike Sorting Basics: How Do I Know I Have a Good Unit?
We get this question a lot at Plexon, both from brand-new labs and labs that have been recording for years. However, when spike sorting, a “good” unit is very subjective and depends on several things.
Don’t be a Hoarder: Only Save What you Need
A common question we receive at Plexon is about processing large data files in Offline Sorter. The details of these discussions are important.
9 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health
Social distancing, self-isolation, and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in fewer face-to-face interactions with others, and there is evidence that this has negatively affected mental health.
Upset About Teaching in Graduate School
Forced to Teach while in Graduate school? Take advantage of the System. Teaching takes away from research, but here are some ways to get the most out of your assistantship.
Open-Source Fiber Photometry Data Analysis Packages: pMAT vs. GuPPY
Overall conclusion: pMAT is more user friendly, but GuPPY has more options and flexibility. One of the major hurdles for a lab performing fiber photometry is data analysis.
Can I Start a Family and Still Get Tenure?
Being a researcher demands a lot from a person. One neuroscientist revealed in a Nature article how she works countless hours a day. As a result, her work and mental health suffered from burnout.
Why are Neuroscientists transitioning from Academia to Industry? Perspectives from Plexon PhDs
There has been a lot of discussions on Twitter and other platforms about graduate students and post-docs transitioning from academia to industry.
Grounding and Referencing for Electrophysiology Recording Systems
It has been said, an informed consumer is the best customer. At Plexon Inc, our goal is for users to be as informed as possible, such that they can ask and answer interesting and unique research questions with equipment purchased by Plexon Inc.
Optogenetic Stimulation: Choosing the Right Equipment
Are you thinking about adding optogenetics to your lab? There is no shortage of articles discussing light sources and fiber optics, however the sheer volume of information itself can be overwhelming.
Linear Probe Discussion with Prof. Dr. Pascal Fries
My question is for beginners, which probe would you recommend for optogenetic stimulations, and how many channels are minimum for reasonable recordings?
Causes of Noise in Electrophysiological Recordings
A poor ground or reference connection will cause large amplitude noise, which will completely drown out the electrophysiological signal. The noise is wide-band, but is usually particularly strong at 50/60Hz and its harmonics.
What is an Isosbestic Control and Why Do You Need it In Fiber Photometry?
Data from fluorescent calcium indicators is always reported as a ratio: ΔF/F. This is the same from dyes like Fura-2 to genetically encoded indicators like GcAMP and RcAMP.
Top 5 Tips for Grant Writing
Grant writing can be a long and stressful process, so we’ve gathered some grant writing tips to help you get your proposal in the right place before submission.
4 Ways to Show Appreciation in the Workplace
Thanksgiving in America is coming up this week, a perfect time to start thinking about showing appreciation and thanks to coworkers in the lab or in the workplace.
What to do with no SfN in 2020?
As we start to get into the winter season, or as I write from Texas, the mildly less hot season, there is a noticeable gap where the annual Society for Neuroscience conference used to be.
Are preprints important?
A preprint is when you make a research article, or part of a research article, available for free either on a website you yourself own or by using one of the many preprint servers available.
Conferences Moving Online: How Will This Change the Future?
In late February, the Biogen Leadership Conference was held in Boston. Within two weeks it was determined to be the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in Massachusetts.
The Lab Notebook
You wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. You’ve had a strange dream about the lab notebook and everything you forgot to document.
How to Tackle the Problem of Toxic Labs and Abusive PIs?
Over the course of my studies, I came across a significant amount of people that were working in unhealthy environments or/and under the tyranny of an abusive PI.
Yoda’s Wise Words on Fear – Turn Concern into Altruistic Action
I am not someone that watches many hours of TV, but this weekend, COVID-19, rain, and a 1-year-old limited what I could do to occupy my time.
Transitioning from Academia to Industry
There are a lot of reasons why someone might want to get out of academia and start looking to get into an industry job. Whether you found out too late that the life of an academic wasn’t for you or you’re looking for a different career path.