SanPy: Software for the analysis and visualization of whole-cell current-clamp recordings.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Electrophysiology
• Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Background:

• Analyzing action potentials and membrane voltage fluctuations is crucial for understanding excitable cell function.
• A significant challenge in this field is the lack of user-friendly, standardized software for data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce SanPy, an open-source Python software package for the analysis and exploration of whole-cell current-clamp recordings.
• To provide researchers with an intuitive, accessible tool for extracting key electrophysiological parameters.

Main Methods:

• Developed SanPy as an open-source Python package with a robust API and a cross-platform desktop application featuring a GUI.
• Implemented functionalities for extracting standard action potential parameters (threshold, peak, half-width, interval statistics) and cardiac parameters (diastolic duration and rate).
• Incorporated a plugin architecture for extensibility and emphasized quality control through linked data visualization.

Main Results:

• SanPy successfully extracts common and cardiac-specific electrophysiological parameters from whole-cell current-clamp recordings.
• The software facilitates data exploration and quality control through linked, multi-dimensional plots.
• Demonstrated the utility of SanPy through analysis of recordings from cardiac and neuronal cells.

Conclusions:

• SanPy offers a powerful, extensible, and user-friendly solution for the analysis of electrophysiological data.
• The software addresses the need for intuitive tools in the interpretation of action potentials and membrane voltage fluctuations.
• SanPy provides a foundation for future community-driven extensions and improvements in the analysis of excitable cell recordings.