The Optogenetics and Behavioral Phenotyping Lab (OBPL) offers two important services: 1) training and access to optogenetics (a technology that utilizes a combination of genetics and focal light exposure to acutely manipulate neuronal activity in awake animals) to permit the examination of physiologic and behavioral responses to neural circuit manipulation; and 2) training and access to equipment and software to measure relevant behaviors, such as homeostatic and non-homeostatic feeding, activity, reward, and other behaviors that impact and/or are regulated by metabolic changes. These behavioral assays can be performed in combination with optogenetic manipulation, where necessary. The OBPL also provides access to a digital stereotaxic apparatus to permit investigators to inject substances (including viral vectors) into the brains of mice or rats in conjunction with the use of OBPL equipment and services.
Working with the Animal Care and Use Committee, the Animal Phenotyping Core makes the metabolic analysis of rodent models of disease expeditious, affordable, effective, and convenient for individual investigators.
The Optogenetics and Behavioral Phenotyping Lab offers:
- Infrastructure to perform advanced, standardized, metabolic phenotyping of animal models of obesity or metabolic diseases that arise from dietary, genetic, pharmacologic or other perturbations.
- Centralized equipment and services to expedite research for many MNORC investigators in a cost-effective manner.
- Consultation to MMOC investigators in the design, execution and analysis of metabolism-related studies in rodents.
- Develop new techniques and acquire new technologies for rodent phenotyping in response to needs of MMOC investigators.