Behavior Core

Mission

The mission of the Behavior Core is to provide a comprehensive approach to the research needs of COBRE investigators, UNE researchers, and the external research community using the highest level of expertise, training, and instrumentation. The core provides in-house validation of cutting-edge models of pain and relevant co-morbidities to advance the pain field and early-stage drug discovery.

Behavior Services

General Behavioral Phenotyping: Observational Screens, Motor Function
Pain/Sensory Testing: Thermal, Mechanical, Chemical
Acute and Chronic Pain Models
Additional Neurobehavioral Tests: Psychiatric, Addiction, Learning, and Memory
Miscellaneous Systems: GI Transit, Cardiovascular, and Respiration
Assistance developing and experimental planning
Specialized tissue extractions

Download a complete list of services (PDF)

How to Request Services

The core uses iLab to manage training and service requests visit our iLab page. If you or your lab is new to iLab you can download instructions on how to make an iLab account (PDF).

For any additional questions, contact us at behaviorcore@une.edu.

The Behavior Core is fully integrated with the UNE's Histology and Imaging Core. The cores work together to optimize protocols for sample collection which will produce the best quality images.

A student presents their research poster to a faculty member

A student reviewing visual data on a computer screen

Training

Rodent Techniques

The core offers training to students, staff, and faculty on any of the following techniques

Handling
Injections
Behavior tests
Surgical procedures
Tissue collections

To request training visit our iLab page.

If you have questions regarding animal husbandry or the animal facility email Research Animal Care.

Badges

The UNE Badging program is a non-credit bearing vehicle that digitally validates and documents knowledge, skill sets, qualifications, and competencies. Open to all learners, any participant who completes the learning activities and demonstrates achievement of the learning outcomes/competencies for a badge would be able to claim it. Sharing badges with graduate schools, potential employers, etc., is a great way to demonstrate some of the skills and competencies you have acquired that are not captured in an academic transcript.

For interested students, the core is now part of the UNE Badging program. Students will gain a knowledge-base and skillsets relevant to the core specialty.

Earn your Rodent Behavior Skills badge

Funding Opportunities

Internal Opportunities

Assistance is available for help to cover the fees for work performed by the research cores.

Learn more about funding for core service fees

External Opportunities

The Maine INBRE Core Use Grant program offers vouchers (up to $5,000) to researchers affiliated with institutions involved in biomedical research and research training in Maine. These awards support research conducted at any Core facility in a northeast IDeA state (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Delaware) or other IDeA states if local services are unavailable. Funding is provided on a rolling basis and is determined by the scientific merit, availability of core services, and relevance of the proposal to biomedical research.

For detailed information refer to the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and the Maine INBRE website application instructions.

Scientists directly funded by a COBRE grant are not eligible for funding through this program.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Beckley JT, Pajouhesh H, Luu G, Klas S, Delwig A, Monteleone D, Zhou X, Giuvelis D, Meng ID, Yeomans DC, Hunter JC, Mulcahy JV. Antinociceptive properties of an isoform-selective inhibitor of Nav1.7 derived from saxitoxin in mouse models of pain. Pain. 2021 Apr 1;162(4):1250-1261.

Nguyen LD, Nolte LG, Tan WJT, Giuvelis D, Santos-Sacchi J, Bilsky E, Ehrlich BE. Comprehensive somatosensory and neurological phenotyping of NCS1 knockout mice. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 27;11(1):2372.

Huynh PN, Giuvelis D, Christensen S, Tucker KL, McIntosh JM. RgIA4 Accelerates Recovery from Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rats. Mar Drugs. 2019 Dec 21;18(1). doi: 10.3390/md18010012. PubMed PMID: 31877728; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7024385.

Cone K, Lanpher J, Kinens A, Richard P, Couture S, Brackin R, Payne E, Harrington K, Rice KC, Stevenson GW. Delta/mu opioid receptor interactions in operant conditioning assays of pain-depressed responding and drug-induced rate suppression: assessment of therapeutic index in male Sprague Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 May;235(5):1609-1618.

Havelin J, Imbert I, Cormier J, Allen J, Porreca F, King T. Central Sensitization and Neuropathic Features of Ongoing Pain in a Rat Model of Advanced Osteoarthritis. J Pain. 2016 Mar;17(3):374-82.

Zhang Y, Williams DA, Zaidi SA, Yuan Y, Braithwaite A, Bilsky EJ, Dewey WL, Akbarali HI, Streicher JM, Selley DE. 17-Cyclopropylmethyl-3,14β-dihydroxy-4,5α-epoxy-6β-(4'-pyridylcarboxamido) morphinan (NAP) Modulating the Mu Opioid Receptor in a Biased Fashion. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2016 Mar 16;7(3):297-304.

Warner E, Krivitsky R, Cone K, Atherton P, Pitre T, Lanpher J, Giuvelis G, Bergquist I, King T, Bilsky E, and Stevenson G. Evaluation of a Postoperative Pain-Like State n Motivated Behavior in Rats: Effects of Plantar Incision on Progressive-Ratio Food-Maintained Responding. Drug Dev Research. Dec 2015; 76(8):432–441.

Burman M, Bilsky E. FAAH inhibitor OL-135 disrupts contextual, but not auditory, fear conditioning in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2016 Jul 15;308:1-5.

Meng ID, Barton ST, Mecum NE, Kurose M. Corneal sensitivity following lacrimal gland excision in the rat. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015 May;56(5):3347-54.

Lefever M, Li Y, Anglin B, Muthu D, Giuvelis D, Lowery JJ, Knapp BI, Bidlack JM, Bilsky EJ, Polt R. Structural Requirements for CNS Active Opioid Glycopeptides. J Med Chem. 2015 Aug 13;58(15):5728-41.

Motyl KJ, DeMambro VE, Barlow D, Olshan D, Nagano K, Baron R, Rosen CJ, Houseknecht KL. Propranolol Attenuates Risperidone-Induced Trabecular Bone Loss in Female Mice. Endocrinology. 2015 Jul;156(7):2374-83.

Podolsky AT, Sandweiss A, Hu J, Bilsky EJ, Cain JP, Kumirov VK, Lee YS, Hruby VJ, Vardanyan RS, Vanderah TW. Novel fentanyl-based dual μ/δ-opioid agonists for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Life Sci. 2013 Dec 18;93(25-26):1010-6.

Burman MA, Simmons CA, Hughes M, Lei L. Developing and validating trace fear conditioning protocols in C57BL/6 mice. J Neurosci Methods. 2014 Jan 30;222:111-7.

Li Y, St Louis L, Knapp BI, Muthu D, Anglin B, Giuvelis D, Bidlack JM, Bilsky EJ, Polt R. Can amphipathic helices influence the CNS antinociceptive activity of glycopeptides related to β-endorphin? J Med Chem. 2014 Mar 27;57(6):2237-46.

Mclane V, Cao L, Willis C. Morphine increases hippocampal viral load and suppresses frontal lobe CCL5 expression in the LP-BM5 AIDS model. J Neuroimmunol. 2014 Apr 15;269(1-2):44-51.

Burman M, Erickson K, Deal A, Jacobson R. Contextual and Auditory Fear Conditioning Continue to Emerge during the Periweaning Period in Rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2014 Aug 5;736:124-30.

Bolded names are core staff.

Remember to acknowledge the COBRE Behavioral Core and the financial support provided by NIGMS grant number P30GM145497 in manuscripts, grants, and presentations that include our work.