A few months ago I threw together a short presentation on the history of calcium imaging for a journal club here at Janelia. It is incomplete. It lacks notes. It focuses much attention on early genetically-encoded indicators. However, calcium imaging is so intertwined with the work of Roger Tsien, my Ph.D. thesis advisor, and since he just won the Nobel Prize, I thought it might be of some interest to the audience of Brain Windows. It does provide a little bit of background for some of the more recent developments chronicled on this site.
Enjoy.
Brain Windows 
Hello,
I have been charged with the task of developing a calcium imaging protocol in our lab, as part of my postdoc tenure. I came across your blogsite after a Google search on “difficulties with calcium imaging”. Needless to say I have had my share and in the interests of productivity I am seeking as much help as I can find. Can I perhaps get in touch via email to discuss some of the finer points of this technique? FYI: I use rat primary cortical cells (PN0) and currently am trying an AM ester derivative of Fluo4. I have only ever seen one cell with calcium-related spiking (3sec burst duration; 50 sec interburst interval). In all my other cultures the cells fluoresce to varying extents but never change their luminescence. I feel like I am going to have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, if I cannot find suitable help! Thanks in advance if you are able to, Matthew. email: matthias.goddard@gmail.com