About Us

The University of Kentucky maintains an Animal Behavior Core that serves as a central resource to conduct reliable and validated animal behavior tests to ensure that qualified and trained investigators have access to state-of-the-art behavioral testing instrumentation and to assist in the design, implementation, and analysis of behavioral experiments in rodents.

General Guidelines for Behavior Services

If you are interested in submitting your animals for behavioral testing, you will first need to submit an amendment to the IACUC by submitting this form, depending on your species (mouse or rat). After your protocol is approved, schedule a meeting for a consultation Robert Kline. Consultation sessions include guidance on the appropriate age, background, and number of animals to test, as well as the most appropriate tests to use based on the PI’s specific goals.

After IACUC protocol approval, new users will create a profile in PPMS using a valid account number and begin scheduling studies. If animals are not currently housed within BBSRB/HKRB, they will need to be acclimated (HKRB) for at least 7 days prior to testing. It should be noted that testing will be longer if a battery of tests has been ordered. After testing is completed, the ABC will train users how to retrieve/analyze behavior data. Data transfer will occur via our secure SharePoint site. If the investigator needs assistance with statistical analysis and data interpretation, a second meeting with the Director or Service Core Manager can be scheduled.

Energy Balance and Body Composition within ABEBC provides the equipment for measurement of lean/fat mass and whole body metabolism in mice. Because the primary focus of the COCVD is to identify mechanisms linking obesity to cardiovascular disease, it is imperative to obtain a sensitive, reproducible quantitative analysis of these measures of adiposity and metabolism. The Echo MRI is utilized for non-invasive quantitative assessment of lean and fat mass. The Sable Promethion Calorimeter indirectly measures oxygen consumption (RER), food and water intake, and physical activity in mice.

Core Services

• Training
• Equipment maintenance and daily monitoring
• Assistance with data analysis
• Experiment setup (Sable)