Get highly defined in vitro neural models with FluidFM ®

Precise single neuron selection and placement with high viability

The gentle selection and placement of any type of neuron, supported by FluidFM, enables generation of highly defined in vitro models to study neurodegenerative mechanisms or test new therapeutic strategies. 

Single neuron nuclear injection and highly defined in vitro neural models with FluidFM

Custom-mixed cell CNS models

Gentle placement of any type of neuron on any surface. Suitable for both iPSC-derived and primary neurons.

High viability single neuron stimulation

Study mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuroimmunology on a single cell level with high precision.

Single neuron selection & placement

Automatic, AI-driven selection and precise placement of any type of neuron in an efficient and intuitive workflow.

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In-vitro neuronal injection. Courtesy Sen Yan, Jinan University.

Neuron expressing GFP 24 h after injection of a plasmid encoding GFP using FluidFM. Courtesy of Sen Yan, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.

Injected neuron. Guided axonal growth. Courtesy Yujie Sun, Peking University.

Red fluorescent dextran spreading in a C57BL/6 C57 mouse hippocampal neuron after injection. Courtesy of Yujie Sun, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Neuronal printing - Guiding neurite growth along a printed line of PLL. Courtesy Harald Dermutz, ETH Zurich.

Image shows PLL line in green, printed with FluidFM between two groups of neurons. In red, neurite growth driven by PLL can be seen. Courtesy of Harald Dermutz, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

More on Neuroscience

Application areas of FluidFM technology for neuroscience include neurogenerative disease, neuromuscular disease, brain tumors, neuronal development, neuronal network, molecular and cellular neuroscience.

Neurons depend on cell-cell interaction and communication with neighboring cells like other neurons as well as with glial cells like oligodendrocytes that form the insulating myelin sheath around axons. Therefore, it has always been the aim in neuroscience to look at the single cell level and to understand the processes for those cells to interact with each other. More recently, also the interactions with immune cells have gained increasing interest in the scientific community, specifically due to their importance in the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. With FluidFM, individual cells of different types can be brought in proximity and their interaction investigated.

Neurons are difficult to transfect as they are typically non-dividing which makes the genomic DNA less accessible. Consequently, genetic editing with nucleases like the CRISPR-system is not successful with traditional transfection methods, such as electroporation, lipofectamine or viral vectors. The direct nuclear-injection ability with FluidFM however allows to directly bring nucleic acids or proteins into the nucleus enabling transfection and genome editing of neurons.