Open Access
open access
An open-source miniature two-photon microscope for large-scale calcium imaging in freely moving mice
Due to the unsuitability of benchtop imaging for tasks that require unrestrained movement, investigators have tried, for almost two decades, to develop miniature 2P microscopes-2P miniscopes–that can be carried on the head of freely moving animals. In this talk, I would first briefly review the development history of this technique, and then report our latest progress on developing the new generation of 2P miniscopes, MINI2P, that overcomes the limits of previous versions by both meeting requirements for fatigue-free exploratory behavior during extended recording periods and satisfying demands for further increasing the cell yield by an order of magnitude, to thousands of neurons. The performance and reliability of MINI2P are validated by recordings of spatially tuned neurons in three brain regions and in three behavioral assays. All information about MINI2P is open access, with instruction videos, code, and manuals on public repositories, and workshops will be organized to help new users getting started. MINI2P permits large-scale and high-resolution calcium imaging in freely-moving mice, and opens the door to investigating brain functions during unconstrained natural behaviors.
The recent history of the replication crisis in psychology & how Open Science can be part of the solution
In recent years, more and more evidence has accumulated showing that many studies in psychological research cannot be replicated, effects are often overestimated, and little is publicly known about unsuccessful studies. What are the mechanisms behind this crisis? In this talk, I will explain how we got there and why it is still difficult to break free from the current system. I will further explain which role Open Science plays within the replication crisis and how it can help to improve science. This might sound like a pessimistic, negative talk, but I will end it on a positive note, I promise!
Panorama de tecnologías abiertas para ciencia y educación en América Latina
Open science hardware (OSH) as a concept usually refers to artifacts, but also to a practice, a discipline and a collective of people pushing for open access to the design of science tools. Since 2016, the Global Open Science Hardware (GOSH) movement gathers actors from academia, education, the private sector and civic organisations to advocate for OSH to be ubiquitous by 2025. In Latin America, GOSH advocates have fundraised and gathered around the development of annual "residencies" for building hardware for science and education. The community is currently defining its regional strategy and identifying other regional actors working on science and technology democratization. In this presentation I will give an overview of the open hardware movement for science, with a focus on the activities and strategy of the Latin American chapter and concrete ways to engage.