Author Archives: P.T.R. Rupprecht

5 reasons why to use Cascade for spike inference

Our paper on A database and deep learning toolbox for noise-optimized, generalized spike inference from calcium imaging is out now in Nature Neuroscience. It consists of a large and diverse ground truth database with simultaneous calcium imaging and juxtacellular recordings … Continue reading

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Fast scanning, triplet states and photon yield

In point-scanning microscopy like two-photon or confocal microscopy, a focused laser beam is scanned across the field of view and thereby sequentially recovers an image of the object. In this blog post, I will discuss the idea that scanning faster … Continue reading

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Research and Intuition

So far I was very fortunate with my scientific long-term mentors and supervisors: both of them are kind, open, creative and stunningly intelligent. I could not wish for more. However, when asked about a role model, I would mention a … Continue reading

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Online spike rate inference with Cascade

To infer spike rates from calcium imaging data for a time point t, knowledge about the calcium signal both before and after time t is required. Our algorithm Cascade (Github) uses by default a window that is symmetric in time … Continue reading

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Heating up the objective for two-photon imaging

To image neurons in vivo with a large field of view, a large objective is necessary. This big piece of metal and glass is in indirect contact with the brain surface, with only water and maybe a cover slip in … Continue reading

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Temporal dispersion of spike rates from deconvolved calcium imaging data

On Twitter, Richie Hakim asked whether the toolbox Cascade for spike inference (preprint, Github) induces temporal dispersion of the predicted spiking activity compared to ground truth. This kind of temporal dispersion had been observed in a study from last year … Continue reading

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Annual report of my intuition about the brain (2020)

How does the brain work and how can we understand it? I want to make it a habit to report some of the thoughts about the brain that marked me most during the past twelve month at the end of … Continue reading

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Hodgkin-Huxley model in current clamp and voltage clamp

As a short modeling session for an electrophysiology course at the University of Zurich, I made a tutorial for students to play around with the Hodgkin-Huxley equations in a Colab Notebook / Python, which does not require them to install … Continue reading

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Interview with Bruno Pichler

Bruno Pichler studied medicine, obtained a PhD in neuroscience, worked in the labs of Arthur Konnerth, Tom Mrsic-Flogel and Troy Margrie, and was R&D manager at Scientifica, before founding his own company, INSS, “to provide the international neuroscience community with … Continue reading

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Simultaneous calcium imaging and extracellular recording from the same neuron

Calcium imaging is a powerful method to record from many neurons simultaneously. But what do the recorded signals really mean? This question can only be properly addressed by experiments which record both calcium signals and action potentials from the same … Continue reading

Posted in Calcium Imaging, Data analysis, electrophysiology, machine learning, Microscopy, Neuronal activity, zebrafish | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment