As one of the most important supporting platforms of the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, the animal experimental platform mainly focuses on non-human primates and rodents (mice), providing technical support for brain research from ion channels, synapses, neurons and neural circuits. The supporting facilities of the platform include laboratory monkey animal room, rodent barrier system (SPF), pulsating vacuum sterilizer, biosafety cabinet, disinfection room, quarantine room, operating room and other related facilities.

The experimental platform can be used for molecular biology, ion channel, neuroelectrophysiology, two-photon imaging, optical imaging of endogenous signals, animal behavior tracking and recording from micro to macro levels. There are 15 sets of multi-channel neural signal recording systems (Plexon OmniPex, Blackrock Microsystems Cerebus, Alpha Omega, etc.), 15 shielding rooms, 4 sets of two-photon imaging systems (Olympus FV1200, Bruker Ultima Intra Vital, LaVision BioTec TriM, etc.), Confocal Imaging Systems (Nikon A1), Rhesus monkey Surgical Navigation and Location Systems (Brainsight 2.0 Primate), 10 Rhesus monkey Eye Tracking Systems (Crist, Eyelink), frozen microtome (Leica, Yamato Kohki), vibration microtome (Leica) and immunohistochemistry chamber, etc.

The animal laboratory platform is staffed by full-time staff and provides animal and experimental support for both internal and external animal laboratories. The animal laboratory has provided supports for uncovering the neural basis of brain functions such as perception, attention, learning and memory, decision making, emotion and social behavior at the cellular, neural circuitry, and behavioral levels.