I built a servo laser set-up (prototype 2) that allows me to control the movement of the laser beam across a curved screen using an X direction servo and a Y direction servo. Below is the final result of prototype 2: The problems: The hot glue on the mirrors makes the mirrors tilt at an angle, and not […]

From previous neural recordings, I have data of the spikes of the TSDNs. However, I had yet to find a way to record the onset of the stimulus (turning on the laser) so that I could correlate it to the spikes. In order to both simultaneously record the event of the laser turning on and […]

The next steps of the project are… 1) set up a coordinate system in Matlab so by inputing the change in degrees of the servos, I can know the change in position on the screen. 2) Using Matlab, create figures that relate the neural activity to the position and direction of the laser beam. 3) Test with dragonfly […]

Catching the dragonflies: The first step of my project is to collect the dragonflies. Dragonflies love vegetation near waterways (rivers, streams, ponds, lakes etc.) All you need to catch them is a butterfly net and a mesh cage. Once I caught enough, I put the dragonflies in individual cups and place them in the refrigerator (this […]

Neural recordings: Yesterday, I recorded from the neuron of the dragonfly without the lasers, just to ensure the materials are working and that I can find the TSDNs. For the neural recordings of the dragonfly, I aimed to place the electrode in the TSDN. These neurons run down the dragonfly’s neck, on the right and left […]

The dragonfly is a killing machine.  They can use their 360° visual span to swoop down and devour their prey mid-flight with a 95% kill rate.  They are superheroes- or maybe super villains – of the insect world. Incredibly biologically equipped, dragonflies have eyes with four or five opsins (in contrast to the human’s three), […]

In order to replicate Paloma Gonzalez-Bellido’s experiment, I need to be able to manipulate the direction and position of the laser beam. In Paloma Gonzalez- Bellido’s 2012 paper she publish these results: Gonzalez-Bellido, P. T., H. Peng, J. Yang, A. P. Georgopoulos, and R. M. Olberg. “Cozzarelli Prize Winner: Eight Pairs of Descending Visual Neurons in […]

Today I started working on the first prototype for the laser set-up. Previously, I had tried to make a laser show out of bass speakers. However, I found that the bass speakers that I had did not allow me the range of motion that I wanted. A picture of the bass speaker set up that I […]

Given the previous problems, I then started on a new set-up hopeing to 1) solve the curvature of the beam problem 2) make a more stable, cleaner set-up. The final result: What I did: I cut wood to use for a stand, and used an acrylic sheet for a base. I made the Y servo mirror much longer […]

About Me Hi everyone, I’m Jaimie. I just graduated from Boston’s Northeastern University in Behavioral Neuroscience. My academic background is in biology, but I picked up some engineering and coding skills through previous lab research. Originally I’m from the Chicago area, so I’m pretty familiar with the Midwest atmosphere, though I had never been to Ann […]

DESCRIPTION The dragonfly can capture its prey mid-air with a 95% accuracy rate. What biological equipment does the dragonfly have that allows it to do this amazing feat? To examine this very question, I will be replicating Paloma T. Gonzalez-Bellido’s 2012 PNAS paper using DIY open source tools. Gonzalez-Bellido found that there are neurons that run […]

About me Hi! I am Juan Ferrada, a biochemistry student at the lovely Universidad de Santiago in Chile. That’s me below with my girlfriend Rocia on campus. She is an important part of my project. At the university I work with Dr. Patricio’s Rojas, a longtime colleague of Backyard Brains. Thanks to Patricio, Backyard […]