Gonny Smit
As a Marketing Communication Specialist, I get to read, write, and learn a lot about behavioral neuroscience. I spend my days creating anything from videos and blog posts to website and leaflet content. Outside of the office, I love spending time with my horse, working out, and traveling.
Zebrafish attracted to superfish: video tracking gender differences in shoaling
Are images enough to evoke a shoaling response in zebrafish? Do males and females respond differently to shoals or the opposite sex? A recent study finds out.
Environmental enrichment rescues autistic-like behaviors in mice
A recent mice study from The Scripps Research Institute shows that behavioral therapy might still be successful in later diagnosis of ASD with macrocephaly, laying groundwork for successful late interventions.
Behavioral research shows how elephants like their new habitat at the Oregon Zoo
The elephants at the Oregon Zoo got a new and improved place to live. This 4-year study described in detail how the animals adapted and liked the new features of their habitat.
Sunshine and romance: ultraviolet light enhances sexual behavior
Ultraviolet B rays in sunshine enhances our romantic passion. How this actually works is still largely unknown. Research at the Tel Aviv University provides new insights.
WHY use a Y-maze? Automating learning and memory tests in rodents
Y-maze testing is exactly what you would think: a maze with three arms that maze rodents have to navigate on their way to food, shelter, or another reward. It is often used to test spatial learning, but why?
Getting robust results: one zebrafish is not like the other
Zebrafish larvae locomotor behavior often has a high variability, which can have a big impact on your results. Still, it is one of the most used parameters. So how can you make your study more robust?
How behavioral core facilities advance research
Behavioral cores benefit universities as well as science in general. Recent cases show improved reproducibility of tests and protocols to assess a more complex phenotype of model animals.
Studying shrimp feeding behavior and why it’s important for aquaculture
Shrimp is a popular dish, and these crustaceans are a very large part of commercial aquaculture. Especially Pacific white-leg shrimp, as they grow fast and are able to adapt to a wide range of environments.
Toxicometabolism and behavior of zebrafish exposed to cannabinol
THC and CBD are well-know compounds of cannabis (Cannabis sativa), use for recreational purposes or health benefits. We have less knowledge of the effects of another active compound: CBN.
Non-invasive home cage testing of epilepsy in mice
Epilepsy is more than seizures; behavioral changes that occur in between seizures are rarely assessed. A new home cage study from the Baylor College of Medicine aims to change this.