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Automating mouse weighing in group homecages with Raspberry Pi micro-computers
Omid Noorshams1, Jamie D Boyd1, Timothy H Murphy1
1Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
|May 7, 2017
Summary
This study introduces an automated system for weighing mice in their homecages, enabling frequent, non-disruptive measurements. The open-source, low-cost system accurately monitors individual mouse weight over extended periods.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior research
- Laboratory automation
- Rodent welfare
Background:
- Traditional animal weighing methods, often involving food or water restriction, can disrupt circadian rhythms and social structures.
- Accurate and frequent weight monitoring is crucial for operant training, drug side-effect assessment, and feeding studies in laboratory animals.
- Existing automated weighing systems are often single-animal, proprietary, or not cost-effective for custom applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an automated, non-disruptive weighing system for socially housed mice.
- To enable frequent and long-term monitoring of individual mouse weights without interfering with their natural behavior.
- To provide an open-source, cost-effective alternative to commercial rodent weighing solutions.
Main Methods:
- An automated weighing system was integrated into paired mouse homecages, allowing animals to move freely between cages via a weighing chamber.
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags were used for individual mouse identification within the weighing chamber.
- A Raspberry Pi single-board computer controlled the system, logging RFID tag data, load cell weights, and timestamps for accurate weight estimation.
Main Results:
- Mice frequently traversed the weighing chamber (average 42±16 times/day/mouse), enabling continuous data acquisition.
- The system achieved accurate determination of individual mouse weights and allowed for long-term monitoring over 53 days.
- The developed system offers an open-source and cost-effective solution compared to existing commercial single-animal weighing systems.
Conclusions:
- The automated system enables approximately 40 automated weighings per mouse per day, significantly increasing measurement frequency.
- The use of inexpensive hardware and open-source Python code makes this system accessible and adaptable for various research applications.
- This technology minimizes disruption to animal welfare and circadian rhythms while ensuring precise weight data collection.
