Neuroscience research at IU is carried out in state-of-the-art laboratories that include virtually every modern method used in brain research today. These resources were made available by IU and by support from the Eli Lilly Foundation Inc., which provided over $50 million to IU for life sciences research. While the initial focus of this support was on metabolomics and cytomics (METACyt), it targets neuroscience as well as genomics, bioinformatics, biochemical analysis, chemical imaging, and computational cytomics. 

The Neuroscience Core Lab houses equipment for cellular and molecular analyses, including fluorescent plate readers, imaging devices, confocal microscopes, morphology and stereology systems, and mass spectrometry for protein and small molecule analysis by FTMS, Ion Trap, MADLDI-TOF, TOF-TOF, and triple quad mass spectrometers. 

Access to the METACyt Core Lab in neuroscience is provided without charge to all investigators on campus. Technical staff are available to help develop assays, operate equipment, and perform experiments. 

METACyt funds also were used to establish a mouse behavioral testing core to complement our rat-testing core. These behavioral cores are fully equipped to permit simultaneous testing in eight adjacent procedure rooms with operant chambers for drug self-administration (16 for rats, 6 for mice), conditioned place preference chambers for rats and mice with video tracking, equipment for automated rodent pain assays, rota-rod for motor testing, and Morris water maze for memory assessment. Both the neuroscience and behavioral cores are located in MSB-II.