Here we uncovered a previously unknown phenotype of Prnp–/– mice in the olfactory system by using a combination of genetic, behavioral and physiological techniques in a systems approach. We employed the so-called 'cookie-finding task', a test of broad olfactory acuity, to analyze a battery of mice, including PrPC knockouts on multiple genetic backgrounds and transgenic mice in which Prnp expression was driven by cell type–specific promoters.
(Was reading this for a project presentation and wanted to share. That is all.)
(It is what it sounds like: you take a cookie, bury it in the bedding, and see how long it takes the mouse to find it.)
3 comments:
Duudde, can I volunteer for this experiment?! (I know it's with mice, but it sounds fun)
That is awesome! :)
Oooh, and I came across an old PET study titled "Changes in brain activity related to eating chocolate." They had subjects eat chocolate until they were sick of it and noted changes in orbitofrontal cortex. I guess if I had to volunteer for any experiment, it would be that one.
(We need to have that article-swapping LAN party eventually...)
I'm such a nerrd. I just went back to look at the chocolate paper. My favorite part has to be:
"Pilot testing was conducted to determine what type of chocolate to use. Fifteen healthy subjects were asked to rank 20 kinds of chocolate from the most to the least pleasant. Lindt bittersweet (50% cocoa) and Lindt milk chocolate were consistently ranked as the most pleasant; however, subjects who preferred the bittersweet did not like the milk chocolate and subjects who preferred the milk chocolate did not like the bittersweet chocolate. In the PET experiment we therefore decided to give subjects the choice between Lindt bittersweet and milk chocolate. Two subjects chose bittersweet and seven subjects chose milk chocolate."
Just thought I'd share. :)
Um, where do I sign up for the Lindt milk chocolate ones? ALL FOR SCIENCE, OF COURSE.
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