Conditioning planaria : device design based on an autonomous, large-scale parallel approach

Current behavioral research is conducted on planaria that have been conditioned manually, one at a time by a person. In an attempt to instrument at an organism level, a design for an environment that automatically conditions multiple planaria in parallel was produced. This design consisted of a testing chamber that could stimulate the planaria using electrical shock and light. A computer program was also written to automatically record the results of the experiments for later analysis by researchers. This design was tested and the results were inconclusive based on technical issues with the experimental procedure. Further research is necessary to determine the validity of this device's ability to condition planaria. Thesis Supervisor: Ian W. Hunter Title: Hastopoulos Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of BioEngineering Acknowledgements First and foremost, I thank Professor Ian Hunter for giving me the opportunity to work in the Biolnstrumentation Lab, and also for guidance and support on my project. This project has showed me the amazing, challenging, and yet fun aspects of research. Also, much thanks to the members of the Biolnstrumentation Lab for their help answering all of my questions and making me feel welcome in the lab. To my friends, thanks for making me smile and showing me on a daily basis that this school is filled with amazing people. And of course, thanks to my family, especially my parents, who have always supported everything I've ever done.