Zapit：面向神经科学的开源激光扫描光刺激平台
Open source laser-scanning photostimulation for neuroscience with Zapit
Zapit 是首个面向头部固定小鼠随机访问激光扫描光遗传学实验的开源通用平台，填补了该技术此前缺乏通用开源实现的空白。该平台配备完整文档和易用 GUI，支持立体定位坐标操作，并提供易于搭建的硬件方案，功能超出已发表系统。作者通过电生理记录和在体小鼠皮层光抑制实验验证了 Zapit 的性能。Zapit 有望降低光学、实时硬件控制与编程方面的技术门槛，推动激光扫描光遗传学在科研界的普及。
来源：eLife · doi.org
Optogenetic tools are indispensable for understanding the causal neural mechanisms underlying animal behavior, providing millisecond-precision control over genetically defined neural populations. Random-access laser-scanning optogenetics is a powerful and underutilized method for transiently manipulating cortical activity in mice. Despite the utility of this technique, no general-purpose open-source implementation currently exists, and potential users need expertise across optics, real-time hardware control, and programming. This represents a major barrier to adoption, particularly for newly established research groups. Here we present ‘Zapit’, the first open-source general-purpose platform for random-access laser-scanning optogenetic experiments in head-fixed mice. Zapit is fully documented, has a user-friendly GUI, works in stereotaxic coordinates, and comes with easy-to-build hardware options that extend functionality beyond any published system. We validate Zapit’s performance through electrophysiological recordings and cortical photoinhibition in behaving mice. Zapit is a novel and innovative tool with the potential to democratize laser-scanning optogenetics and significantly increase uptake throughout the scientific community.