We aim to create a low cost (<$100) operant training box, using open source tools and software. Operant training is a highly valuable form of behavioral testing that can assay motivation, impulsiveness, anxiety, depression, addiction, and many other behavioral processes. Unfortunately, most commerical suppliers provide chambers that cost on the order of $5-10K per chamber, once all software and hardware is accounted for. This is prohibitively expensive for many researchers, so we would like to develop a low cost solution that will allow our selves, our collaborators, and any other interested researchers access to this form of behavioral testing.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$145,737
Indirect Cost
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Ali, Mohamed A; Kravitz, Alexxai V (2018) Challenges in quantifying food intake in rodents. Brain Res 1693:188-191
Nguyen, Katrina P; Ali, Mohamed A; O'Neal, Timothy J et al. (2017) Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents. J Vis Exp :
Nguyen, Katrina P; O'Neal, Timothy J; Bolonduro, Olurotimi A et al. (2016) Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): A flexible open-source device for measuring feeding behavior. J Neurosci Methods 267:108-14
Devarakonda, Kavya; Nguyen, Katrina P; Kravitz, Alexxai V (2015) ROBucket: A low cost operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller. Behav Res Methods :
Kravitz, Alexxai V; Owen, Scott F; Kreitzer, Anatol C (2013) Optogenetic identification of striatal projection neuron subtypes during in vivo recordings. Brain Res 1511:21-32
Kravitz, Alexxai V; Tye, Lynne D; Kreitzer, Anatol C (2012) Distinct roles for direct and indirect pathway striatal neurons in reinforcement. Nat Neurosci 15:816-8
Kravitz, Alexxai V; Kreitzer, Anatol C (2012) Striatal mechanisms underlying movement, reinforcement, and punishment. Physiology (Bethesda) 27:167-77