Wiring together Firing together

Neural Co-culture Cell Assay

Watch as two discrete neural cell populations in a dish wire together over 21 days. Now the neural activity in one neural cell population can now drive the other neural cell population in the dish to fire.

  • Two populations of neural are seeded in a well, divided by a partition.

  • 64 electrodes are embedded in the surface of the well.  Electrodes detect the neural firing.

  • The partition divides the well into two compartments.

  • Load the plate into the Maestro MEA system with the partition still in the well.

  • Activity is recorded by the electrodes from each population and shown as color in an activity map.  With the partition in the well, the two neural populations fire independently of each other.

  • 3 days after removing the partition, the neurites start to project across the gap.  The two populations still fire independently of each other.

  • 21 days after removing the partition, neurites connect both neural populations.  Neural cells on the left can now drive cells on the right side to fire.

Neurons wiring together - firing together.  Watch the video to see this coculture in action.