James Madison University 4 articles published in JoVE Behavior Using Enclosed Y-Mazes to Assess Chemosensory Behavior in Reptiles M. Rockwell Parker*1, Andrea F. Currylow*2, Eric A. Tillman3, Charlotte J. Robinson2, Jillian M. Josimovich2, Isabella M. G. Bukovich1, Lauren A. Nazarian1, Melia G. Nafus4, Bryan M. Kluever3, Amy A. Yackel Adams4 1Department of Biology, James Madison University, 2U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 3U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, 4U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center Y-mazes enable researchers to determine the relevance of specific stimuli that drive animal behavior, especially isolated chemical cues from a variety of sources. Careful design and planning can yield robust data (e.g., discrimination, degree of exploration, numerous behaviors). This experimental apparatus can provide powerful insight into behavioral and ecological questions. Chemistry Quantification of Metal Leaching in Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography Coleman M. Swaim1, Tyler J. Brittain1, Daniel R. Marzolf2, Oleksandr Kokhan1 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, James Madison University, 2Biophysics Graduate Program, Ohio State University We present an assay for easy quantification of metals introduced to samples prepared using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The method uses hydroxynaphthol blue as the colorimetric metal indicator and a UV-Vis spectrophotometer as the detector. Environment Chemical Isolation, Quantification, and Separation of Skin Lipids from Reptiles Paige E. Baedke1, Holly R. Rucker1, Robert T. Mason2, M. Rockwell Parker1 1Department of Biology, James Madison University, 2Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University In reptiles, skin lipids from conspecifics are crucial for sexual signaling, with potential use in invasive species management. Here, we describe protocols for extracting skin lipids from shed skin or whole animals, determining and analyzing the total lipid mass, and separating the lipids using fractionation via column chromatography. Neuroscience Inducing Cre-lox Recombination in Mouse Cerebral Cortex Through In Utero Electroporation Katherine M. Bland*1, Zachary O. Casey*1, Christopher J. Handwerk*1, Z. Logan Holley1, George S. Vidal1 1Department of Biology, James Madison University Cell-autonomous functions of genes in the brain can be studied by inducing loss or gain of function in sparse populations of cells. Here, we describe in utero electroporation to deliver Cre recombinase into sparse populations of developing cortical neurons with floxed genes to cause loss of function in vivo.