From the OCBJ:
University of California, Irvine researchers are trying to connect rats and robots, with humans as intermediaries. Jeff Krichmar, professor of cognitive science, is studying how dopamine and serotonin affect rats, translating those chemical effects into software, and using the data to influence robotic behavior… “We’re trying to make the robot brain more like the human brain,” he said. “We mathematically model those chemicals and mimic their effect on behavior.”

For the full story, please visit http://www.ocbj.com/news/2014/jun/10/uci-study-links-robots-rats/.