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A neuroscience hub for neural circuits, open optogenetics and technology development

Latest from the Blog

AI in neuroscience research

The field of neuroscience is rapidly evolving, and with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), it has the potential to grow even faster. The use of AI in neuroscience research, particularly in preclinical academic research, can help researchers gain new insights into the complex workings of the brain, ultimately leading to new treatments and cures…

Practical uses of 3D printing in an electrophysiology lab

I have mentioned before about my 3D printer, and how useful I have found it. Today, I’ll explain some of the practical uses I’ve found for 3D printing for electrophysiology. The point is that electrophysiology equipment is both extortionately expensive and annoyingly non-compatible. So, it is often quicker, cheaper and easier to design and print…

Validating in vivo optogenetics LED systems

One of the most challenging aspects of starting in vivo optogenetics is the equipment. In particular, how do you know which optogenetics stimulation systems will work for your purpose? I’m a big fan of LED’s, because of how cheap and easy they are to use compared with lasers. However, the high degree of scattering can…

Key pages on this site

Power calculator

My optogenetics power calculator aims to provide a clear answer to the question: given your experimental parameters, what power do you need for effective stimulation?

Opto guide

My optogenetics guide covers key aspects of an in vivo optogenetics study, from planning through to analysis and troubleshooting.

Open optogenetics

Curated lists of open source equipment for optogenetics, neuroscience and behaviour.

Papers I’m Reading

Using a bistable animal opsin for switchable and scalable optogenetic inhibition of neurons

Rodgers et al. develop Lamplight, a highly sensitive inhibitory opsin that acts over long time periods with scalable responses.

High-resolution optogenetics in space and time

Ruiz et al. summarise multi-channel in vivo optogenetics systems in this Trends review.

Tether-free photothermal deep-brain stimulation in freely behaving mice

Wu et al. use a temperature sensitive channel and a compound that heats up under IR light to perform photothermogenetics.

Kit I’m looking at

In the Pipeline

Fibre-free Optogenetics

Those of you that read my blog will know I’ve developed my own fibre-free optogenetics system. My recent grant application to the NC3R’s to test it in vivo was denied, so I’m now looking for collaborators to be an early adopter of the system.

IP commercialisation job

I’ve recently been offered a role in IP commercialisation at the University of Liverpool. It’s part of a small (but expanding) team to commercialise the fantastic research being done in Health and Life Sciences at the University.

Possible work for Metofico

A colleague of mine started a spinout company developing software and hardware for in vivo photometry and optogenetics studies. I’ve been designing the equipment for performing animal experiments for his company.

Latest in the shop

EasyTTL Uno

Single channel TTL driver for optogenetics

CrumbleHopper

Laboratory mouse feeder
Laboratory mouse food hopper

Activity monitors

IR beam break activity monitor system

Upcoming Conferences

SfN 2023

The annual Society for Neuroscience meeting is in Washington DC 11-15th November 2023.

BSN 2023

BSN annual meeting 2023 will be held in Exeter, 4-6th September 2023.  

BNA 2023

The BNA 2023 Festival of Neuroscience is in Brighton 23-26th April 2023.

Upcoming Webinars

Wireless optogenetics in freely moving animals

29th September 2022 4-5 pm GMT

Inscopix dual-colour miniscope

20th June 2023 4-5 pm GMT

About me and the website

I am a neuroscientist with an interest in technologies that allow us to study the most complex structure we know of, the brain. With a history in mouse genetics, obesity and neuroendocrinology, I have been a postdoctoral researcher for the best part of a decade.

My driving goals in the lab are to improve how we study the brain through the use of technology, with a particular focus on optogenetics. This website and blog are my attempts at a neuroscience information hub for anyone interested in neural circuits, open optogenetics and technology development.

Nic Nunn neuroscientist
Me in the ephys lab

© NicNeuroNet April 2022