Science and technology
30 Nov 2020New in eNEURO: Web-based application facilitates use of advanced simulation tool NEST
NEST Desktop has been presented to the scientific community in a publication in eNeuro, the open access journal of the American Society for Neuroscience.
Simulators for spiking neural network models are increasingly used in brain research. They enable scientists to run models of information processing, learning, plasticity, and more.
These simulation tools are very powerful but not always easy to use. They typically require prior knowledge of a programming language and are difficult to install. These requirements often exclude students and early career researchers from using the simulators.
"NEST Desktop is intuitive, fast, and user-friendly. Universities from Norway, Italy and Bulgaria are considering NEST Desktop for different courses. "
University of Trier
NEST Desktop was developed to help overcome these barriers to entry. The web-based application for the NEST Simulator allows users to rapidly construct neuronal network models on their laptop. NEST Desktop features an intuitive graphical user interface which helps users without programming skills to get started more easily. The application can be used in an internet browser, so no installation is necessary.
The simplicity and accessibility of the application make it an ideal tool for teaching purposes.
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