Modernizing 6 Key Resources of the Waisman Center Rodent Behavioral Testing Service

Description:

The Waisman Center Rodent Behavioral Testing Service (BTS) is the only rodent behavioral testing core on UW-Madison campus.  Behavioral phenotyping is an essential aspect of studies of the nervous system in healthy and disease states.

The overarching goal of the BTS is to provide a set of tools to UW-Madison investigators for comprehensively evaluating the behavioral phenotypes of mouse and rat models of developmental disabilities, disease and biological function.

This project allows for upgrade or replacement of six most used testing instruments in the Waisman Center’s BTS. Primary objectives are to update some resources such that user accessibility becomes more efficient, update computers and resource-associated software so that BTS resources become 100% compatible with the Windows 10 operating system, and replace resources that are equipped with outdated (not ‘state-of-the-art’) software or that have had reported hardware malfunctions during recent usage periods.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Xinyu Zhao, professor of neuroscience and director of the Waisman Center Rodent Behavioral Testing Service (BTS)

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Jules Panksepp, assistant researcher and manager of the Waisman Center Rodent Behavioral Testing Service (BTS)

CORE:

Waisman Center Rodent Behavioral Testing Service