Training

Hydrogel-enabled Tissue Clearing Workshop

The Deisseroth lab offers a number of hands-on training workshops of varying length and emphases that focus primarily on the CLARITY tissue clearing protocol developed in the lab. Details of the different workshops held at Stanford University are listed below. Shorter (3-day and 2-week) workshops will be offered throughout the year. Topics covered include hands-on overview of hydrogel-embedding adn both passive & electrophoretic tissue clearing, modifications and alternative hydrogel-enabled clearing techniques, sample mounting, imaging techniques, & data analysis strategies. Anyone registered for these workshops will eventually be invited to participate. The extended 3-4 week workshop is offered once every summer, and participants are selected through an application process.

Optogenetics Workshop

The Optogenetics Innovation Laboratory (OIL) offers a number of hands-on courses at different levels of detail. Graduate students, Stanford researchers, and those willing to travel to take a class are welcome. Shorter (3-day) workshops are offered throughout the year and cover Stereotactic cannula implantation, optical stimulation for behavior testing, & optical stimulation for electrical recording. Longer (3-week) workshops are offered in the summer and cover production of recombinant lentivectors for optogenetic gene delivery in mammals, stereotactic injection and cannula implantation, optical stimulation for behavior testing, optical stimulation for electrical recording, & confirmation of transgene expression. Additional possible topics include primary neuronal cell culturing, confocal microscopy, & patch clamping.

Fiber Photometry Workshop

Deisseroth lab members have developed a technique, termed “fiber photometry” to optically record in real-time natural, specific-connected neural activity in a live rodent by measuring the calcium levels during behavior studies. This technology uses GECIs (genetically engineered calcium indicators) and the fiber implant technology similar to that of the optogenetics platform and can complement optogenetic experiments. 

A typical 2-day Fiber Photometry Workshop includes didactic & hands-on training on hardware/software, rig building & recording, and data analysis.