Thomas Akam

Title:

Open source, Python-based tools for behavioural experiment control and fiber photometry.

Abstract:

In this talk I will discuss both the big picture of how open source tools fit in the ecosystem of technologies used in neuroscience, and the design and functionality of two open source tools I develop; pyControl - for programming and running behavioural experiments, and pyPhotometry – for fiber photometry recordings of brain signals. From the user perspective I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of open source tools in relation to commercial systems. From the tool-developer perspective I will discuss the practicalities of creating, maintaining, distributing, and supporting open source tools, and the advantages and disadvantages of an open source model compared to intellectual property (IP) based commercialisation. For my tools, I will give a brief overview of what they do, how they work, and how we use them in our experiments.

https://pycontrol.readthedocs.io https://pyphotometry.readthedocs.io