diff --git a/examples/integration_test/it.py b/examples/integration_test/it.py
index 6f159e02d8209c11cd1d096555e032c183cb7630..778faef72b93af1d6d7ec784dd7f037415b7b85f 100644
--- a/examples/integration_test/it.py
+++ b/examples/integration_test/it.py
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ except ImportError:
     print()
     sys.exit(-1)
 
-##
-## Test Case helper functions for results storage and progress updates.
-##
+#
+# Test Case helper functions for results storage and progress updates.
+#
 
 
 # helper class for storing test case details
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ class TestCaseError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
-##
-## Sequential test cases, we cannot reuse the unit test framework because we must guarantee
-## execution order and state at each step and abort with appropriate cleanup.
-##
+#
+# Sequential test cases, we cannot reuse the unit test framework because we must guarantee
+# execution order and state at each step and abort with appropriate cleanup.
+#
 # pylint: disable=too-many-branches, too-many-statements, too-many-locals, redefined-outer-name
 # pylint: disable=broad-except, bare-except, no-member, protected-access
 def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
         # the simulation we will launch, defined here so we have a cleanup reference at any point
         sim = None
         path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-        ##
-        ## Server Information and Experiment List Interaction
-        ##
+        #
+        # Server Information and Experiment List Interaction
+        #
 
         # this test validates the config.json from user-scripts and checks to make sure the
         # backend is running properly (roscore/OIDC if required)
@@ -162,9 +162,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
             raise TestCaseError('Template Husky Experiment was not cloned to the storage.')
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Clone a Cloned Experiment
-        ##
+        #
+        # Clone a Cloned Experiment
+        #
 
         results.start('Cloning a cloned experiment')
         new_experiment_id = json.loads(vc.clone_cloned_experiment(experiment_id))['clonedExp']
@@ -172,9 +172,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
             raise TestCaseError('Cloning the cloned Template Husky Experiment failed')
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Delete a Cloned Experiment
-        ##
+        #
+        # Delete a Cloned Experiment
+        #
 
         results.start('Deleting a cloned experiment')
         vc.delete_cloned_experiment(new_experiment_id)
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
             raise TestCaseError('Deleting a cloned Experiment failed')
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Import an Experiment Folder
-        ##
+        #
+        # Import an Experiment Folder
+        #
 
         results.start('Importing an experiment folder')
         response = vc.import_experiment(path + '/test_experiment_folder')
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
         vc.delete_cloned_experiment(new_experiment_id)
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Import an Experiment Zipped Folder
-        ##
+        #
+        # Import an Experiment Zipped Folder
+        #
 
         results.start('Importing a zipped experiment folder')
         response = vc.import_experiment(path + '/test_experiment_folder.zip')
@@ -206,9 +206,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
         vc.delete_cloned_experiment(new_experiment_id)
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Experiment Launch and Simulation State Interaction
-        ##
+        #
+        # Experiment Launch and Simulation State Interaction
+        #
 
         # launch an experiment
         results.start('Launching Empty Template Husky Experiment')
@@ -266,9 +266,9 @@ def run(oidc_username, storage_username):
         sim.start()
         wait_condition(5, 'Waiting for simulation to resume.', lambda x: x['state'] == 'started')
         results.done(True)
-        ##
-        ## Transfer Function Interaction
-        ##
+        #
+        # Transfer Function Interaction
+        #
 
         # retrieve transfer functions
         results.start('Retrieving Transfer Functions')
@@ -354,9 +354,9 @@ def tf(t):
             if tfs != sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts('transfer-function')['data']:
                 raise TestCaseError('Deleting a nonexistent TF deleted something else.')
         results.done(True)
-        ##
-        ## State Machine Interaction
-        ##
+        #
+        # State Machine Interaction
+        #
 
         # add a new valid state machine
         results.start('Adding a new valid State Machine')
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ def tf(t):
         if len(sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts('state-machine')['data']) != len(sms) + 1:
             raise TestCaseError('Failed to add a new valid state machine')
         results.done(True)
-       # valid state machine editing
+        # valid state machine editing
         results.start('Valid State Machine Update')
         sim.start()
         valid_sm = 'import math\n' + sim.get_state_machine('statemachine_valid')
@@ -379,9 +379,9 @@ def tf(t):
             raise TestCaseError('Valid State Machine update did not resume running simulation.')
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Brain and Population Interaction
-        ##
+        #
+        # Brain and Population Interaction
+        #
 
         # modify brain script
         results.start('Modifying Brain Script')
@@ -422,9 +422,9 @@ def tf(t):
 
         results.done(True)
 
-        ##
-        ## Reset Different Simulation Parts
-        ##
+        #
+        # Reset Different Simulation Parts
+        #
         results.start('Resetting full simulation')
         sim.reset('full')
         wait_condition(5, 'Waiting for simulation to pause.', lambda x: x['state'] == 'paused')
@@ -442,9 +442,9 @@ def tf(t):
         wait_condition(5, 'Waiting for simulation to pause.', lambda x: x['state'] == 'paused')
         sim.start()
         results.done(True)
-        ##
-        ## Shutdown, Cleanup and Delete the cloned experiment used in the tests
-        ##
+        #
+        # Shutdown, Cleanup and Delete the cloned experiment used in the tests
+        #
 
         # shutdown the experiment cleanly
         results.start('Stopping Simulation')
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ def tf(t):
         if sim:
             try:
                 sim.stop()
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 pass
 
     # make sure this file is properly updated for number of test cases, if not fail the dev
@@ -488,10 +488,10 @@ def tf(t):
     return results
 
 
-##
-## Actual entry point, parse user options and print out results. Return a valid success (0) or
-## failure (-1) exit code upon exit for any automated checking.
-##
+#
+# Actual entry point, parse user options and print out results. Return a valid success (0) or
+# failure (-1) exit code upon exit for any automated checking.
+#
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 
     # allow the user to run IT using an OIDC enabled local backend (None if omitted)
diff --git a/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/tests/test_simulation.py b/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/tests/test_simulation.py
index e4747101fe511194939d29e1bb763af04f1c0aee..613a71eba766318b405b5b476a352322ae293785 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/tests/test_simulation.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/tests/test_simulation.py
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ class TestSimulation(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_get_brain_and_populations(self):
         self._sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts = Mock()
         self._sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts.return_value = {'data': 'foo',
-                                                                'brain_populations': 'bar'}
+                                                                      'brain_populations': 'bar'}
         self._sim.get_populations()
         self._sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts.assert_called_once()
         self._sim._Simulation__get_simulation_scripts.assert_called_with('brain')
@@ -419,9 +419,8 @@ class TestSimulation(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # mock the http call, the get_all_transfer_function call, the start call, the pause call
         # and the get_state call
-        self._sim._Simulation__http_client.get = Mock(return_value=(http.client.OK,
-                                                             '{"data": {"foo": ""}}'))
-        self._sim._Simulation__http_client.put = Mock(return_value=(http.client.OK,None))
+        self._sim._Simulation__http_client.get = Mock(return_value=(http.client.OK, '{"data": {"foo": ""}}'))
+        self._sim._Simulation__http_client.put = Mock(return_value=(http.client.OK, None))
 
         self._sim._Simulation__get_all_transfer_functions = Mock()
         self._sim._Simulation__get_all_transfer_functions.return_value = {'foo': ''}
diff --git a/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/virtual_coach.py b/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/virtual_coach.py
index 49521ea53dfb3057fd77bf9a2b80e0a1815a73df..9f57c9beea1262926595067be12ad6db031cf309 100644
--- a/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/virtual_coach.py
+++ b/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/hbp_nrp_virtual_coach/virtual_coach.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class VirtualCoach(object):
         elif storage_username:
             # this will interactively prompt the user for a password in terminal
             logger.warning('No OIDC username supplied, simulation services will fail if OIDC is '
-                        'enabled in this environment (%s).', environment)
+                           'enabled in this environment (%s).', environment)
             logger.info('Logging into the Storage Server as: %s', storage_username)
             if not storage_password:
                 storage_password = getpass.getpass()
@@ -413,13 +413,15 @@ class VirtualCoach(object):
         assert isinstance(user_name, string_types)
         assert isinstance(password, string_types)
 
-        response = requests.post(self.__config['proxy-services']['storage-authentication'],
-                                 json={'user': user_name, 'password': password})
-        if response.status_code != 200:
+        resp = requests.post(self.__config['proxy-services']['storage-authentication'],
+                             json={'user': user_name, 'password': password})
+
+        if resp.status_code != 200:
             raise Exception('Storage Server authentication failed, Status Code: %d'
-                            % response.status_code)
+                            % resp.status_code)
+
+        token = resp.content.decode("utf-8") if isinstance(resp.content, bytes) else resp.content
 
-        token = response.content.decode("utf-8") if type(response.content) == bytes else response.content
         return token
 
     def __get_experiment_list(self, cloned=False):
diff --git a/verify.sh b/verify.sh
index d09f05fbf3a3dffbca2d1575d60a765cb56be088..1fe5177068e51bdb935e08c6534939ad11a17281 100755
--- a/verify.sh
+++ b/verify.sh
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ export IGNORE_LINT="platform_venv|config_files|examples/integration_test/test_ex
 export VIRTUAL_ENV=$NRP_VIRTUAL_ENV
 
 # This script only runs static code analysis, the tests can be run separately using run_tests.sh
-make run_pep8 run_pylint
+make run_pycodestyle run_pylint
 RET=$?
 
 if [ $RET == 0 ]; then
-    echo -e "\033[32mVerify sucessfull.\e[0m Run ./run_tests.sh to run the tests."
+    echo -e "\033[32mVerify successful.\e[0m Run ./run_tests.sh to run the tests."
 else
     echo -e "\033[31mVerify failed.\e[0m"
 fi