Biology subjects

Lester, A. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Lester, A. W..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

NC4touch: An open-source networked touchscreen apparatus for rodent behavioral testing

In recent years, rodent touchscreen-based paradigms have gained popularity for their flexible task design, automated data collection and improved standardization. These devices minimize experimenter intervention and contribute to more replicable and reliable research. However, the high costs and proprietary hardware / software associated with commercially available systems present a financial barrier for smaller labs or researchers with limited resources. To address this issue, we developed "NC4Touch", an open-source scalable, modular rodent testing apparatus. It features three independent touchscreens and a feeding port for easy use in a wide array of tests comparable to those available with standard operant chambers, with the added benefit that visual stimuli can be highly customized. The system includes a user-friendly graphical interface that offers real-time control, task customization, video recording, and data management. We demonstrate its effectiveness in a visual discrimination task using both rats and mice. Several devices can be operated in parallel from the same computer and user interface, allowing high- throughput data collection. We provide detailed assembly instructions for the hardware and well- documented and easily-configurable software. We hope that the affordable open-source nature of NC4Touch will expand the scope of behavioral testing, allowing researchers to overcome traditional financial barriers and create a more collaborative community. Significance StatementTouchscreen-based testing is a powerful tool for assessing cognition in rodent models, however commercial systems remain cost-prohibitive for many researchers. NC4Touch is a rodent touchscreen apparatus that provides an open-source, customizable, and affordable alternative that enables high-throughput, cognitive testing in both mice and rats. By lowering financial barriers and promoting hackability, this system enables greater accessibility and collaboration in research.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2025

The Omniroute maze: a novel rodent navigation apparatus that integrates dynamically configurable routes, sensory cues and automated reward delivery

We developed the Omniroute maze, a novel apparatus that enables near-fully automated, high-throughput behavioral experiments in freely moving rodents, combining the experimental control of virtual reality (VR) platforms with the ethological validity of real-world navigation. The maze features movable wall segments that can be programmatically configured to create unique routes within a 90 x 90 cm platform. Four projectors arrayed around the maze perimeter can display distinct visual cues on both sides of any subset of raised gate wall panels and the maze floor as well as play directional auditory cues. A motorized gantry delivers food-based rewards anywhere in the maze. Real-time 3D tracking of the rat and the reward gantry enables closed-loop control of maze topology, cue configuration, and reward delivery. All subsystems are controlled using the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework via a custom Python-based user interface. The Omniroute can reproduce classic behavioral mazes and a variety of novel configurations to test hypotheses on the interactions between routes, cues, and behavior. Automated configuration, tracking, and reward delivery enable high-throughput experiments on complex navigation behaviors without the potential biases introduced by direct experimenter intervention. Designed from the ground up for robust operation, the Omniroute system utilizes affordable hardware and software to facilitate easy fabrication and assembly as well as replicability by other researchers. Significance StatementThe Omniroute system enables high-throughput, automated rodent 2D navigation experiments with real-time control over routes, cues, and reward delivery, comparable to that afforded by modern virtual reality-based systems. In addition, however, the Omniroute supports uninterrupted movement-related behavior, which is critical for assessing the ongoing influence of self-motion cues, while still minimizing confounds from experimenter handling. Naturalistic food-based reinforcement at any location allows for closed-loop behavioral conditioning under diverse task structures. The Omniroute system is one of very few platforms that support near-complete control of available paths, dynamic visual and auditory cues, and naturalistic food-based reinforcement with minimal direct experimenter intervention.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2024

A modular gate system for autonomous control of rodent behavior

Rodent mazes have been used for decades to study the neural basis of behavior. Advancements in rapid prototyping techniques and access to affordable electronics allows laboratories with sufficient expertise in engineering and programming to customize and construct maze apparatuses and behavioral tasks, thereby increasing the ability of their studies to answer specific scientific questions. We designed and built a rodent gate system that lowers this bar of expertise even further. The NC4gate system is a robust mechanical design that can be built using low-cost hardware and execute thousands of cycles before maintenance. Up to 512 gates can be controlled using a single computer. Users can control the gates interactively using a Python-based graphical interface and programmatically using an extensible API. We hope that the open-source hardware / software and extensive documentation enables laboratories to build these affordable and robust gates and seamlessly incorporate automatic behavior control into their existing or new rodent tasks. Significance StatementRodent mazes are used by thousands of laboratories and research institutions across the world to study learning and memory, as well as the effects of pharmacological, genetic and environmental manipulations. Ideally, maze and task designs should be customized to the scientific questions at hand. It is challenging, however, for many laboratories to build, program, and operate custom mazes, requiring them instead to rely on expensive and proprietary commercial solutions. The most complex components of most mazes are moving gates that restrict and direct rodent behavior. Here we provide the open-source hardware and software for a gate system that is extensible, affordable and robust, removing this critical barrier to customized mazes.

animal behavior and cognition↗