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Behavioral analysis platform (BEAP)

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Technical and scientific expertise

  • Animal models (mainly mice), genetically modified or not
  • Customised phenotypic studies of mouse and rat models in a standardised environment:
    • carried out in compliance with legislation on the protection of experimental animals
    • supported via coordination, supervision, monitoring of experiments, support for drafting experimental protocols and scientific publications

Main equipment

  • Animal testing equipment:
    • basic activity and metabolism (indirect calorimetry, physiocage, open field, etc.)
    • anxiety, depression and social behaviour (elevated cross maze, hole board, light-dark anxiety test, social interaction cages, UtraVox XT system, etc.)
    • learning/memory and conditioning (Y-maze, eight-arm radial maze, Barnes maze, Morris pool, conditioning test, shuttle box, etc.)
    • motor system and coordination (grip strength test, treadmill, elevated beam, Rotarod, CatWalk system, etc.)
  • Software
    • CatWalk 7.0, Ethovision 6.1, UltraVox XT (Noldus)
    • FST, Metabolism, Shutavoid, Startle and Freezing (Bioseb)

Applications

  • Studying the genetic basis and understanding the pathophysiology of many diseases such as neurological and neuromuscular disorders
  • Studying different aspects of animal behaviour:
    • metabolism
    • food intake
    • activity
    • coordination
    • pain
    • anxiety
    • learning

Services available to

  • UCLouvain students and researchers
  • Researchers from other national and international universities