Experimental techniques for neuroscience research using common marmosets.

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a species of New World monkeys. Because of its ease of maintenance and breeding in laboratories, use of the marmoset is growing rapidly in biomedical research. In neuroscience, the marmosets are attracting more attention, since they have the developed cerebral cortex which plays a key role in higher brain functions. In this review on neuroscience research using the marmoset, experimental techniques developed in our laboratory are summarized. We introduce artificial rearing of neonates, stereotaxic surgery, neuroanatomy including virtual microscopy based on the Internet technology, behavioral study using a large number of marmosets, and primary neuron culture study.