Brain Slice Electrophysiology

Scientists working

Based in Aix-en-Provence, France, our Brain Slice Electrophysiology platform is the global leader in in vitro slice electrophysiological assays for CNS and PNS pharmacology. 

With over 17 years of experience, we specialize in Patch Clamp and Multi Electrode Array (MEA) and High-Density MEA recordings from acute brain and spinal cord slices. 

Our expertise lies in designing, executing, and analyzing and interpreting complex electrophysiological/pharmacological protocols, providing functional data allowing decision making for CNS or Pain Drug Discovery programs. 

Electrophysiological recordings of acute brain slices, spinal cord slices, and cultured neurons.

Our slice electrophysiology experts have extensive experiences in Patch Clamp and Multi Electrode Array (MEA) recordings, allowing the determination of molecular effects on neurons and/or neuronal networks: 

  • Rodent Brain Slices 
  • Rodent spinal cord slices 
  • Human Brain Slices 
  • Organotypic Slice Culture 
  • Lysosome recordings (in cultured cells) 

Our recording protocols include:

  • Passive membrane properties 
  • Active membrane properties 
  • Spontaneous firing activities 
  • Evoked-responses (electrical or chemical stimulations) 
  • Synaptic transmission 
  • Short-term plasticity 
  • Long-term synaptic plasticity 
  • spontaneous synaptic transmission (excitatory or inhibitory): sEPSC or sIPSC 
  • miniatures excitatory or inhibitory currents mEPSC or mIPSC 
  • Determination of reversal potential values for a dedicated ions (Erev-GABA-A for Chloride,as an example) 
  • single channel recordings 

Our protocols allow documenting the profile of agonists, partial agonists, inverse agonists, competitive and non-competitive antagonists, positive or negative allosteric modulators. 

We collaborate with your team to implement protocols tailored to establish pharmacological profile/signatures, target engagement, Mechanism(s) of Action, and safety issues. 

Our slice electrophysiology platform also has a strong background in phenotyping Tg rodent models.

 

Pharmacology & Therapeutics 

We support clients working therapeutic areas such as: 

  • Pain
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Neuropsychiatric Disorders
  • Epilepsy
  • Stroke

Example target classes we cover:

  • G-Protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)
  • Voltage-gated ion channels
  • Metabolic pathways
  • Chloride cotransporters

Example drug targets we cover:

  • Kainate
  • Ampa
  • NMDA
  • Chloride cotransporters
  • Dopamine
  • Nicotinic
  • GABA
  • mGluR
  • Muscarinic
  • Serotoninergic
  • TAAR​

 

 

 

Our techniques & models

Patch Clamp

Neuroservices-Alliance is a world-renowned leader in patch clamp electrophysiology. Patch Clamp allows in vitro evaluation of compounds with the highest cell/molecular resolution. 

Neuroservice Expertise patch clamp

Multi Electrode Array (MEA)

Multi Electrode Array (MEA) is a mid-throughput technique enabling parallel and multi-sites extra-cellular recordings within a single brain slice. Multi Electrode Array is the adequate technique to get an exceptional macroscopic view of neuronal networks.

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Multi Electrode Array brain slice

HD-MEA

HD-MEA allows recording of neuronal networks almost at the cellular levels. Proprietary AI algorithms allow extracting thousands or millions of information with an unprecedent resolution. 

macroscopic view of neurons on MEA plate

Disease Models

  • Pain (acute /chronic) 
    Dedicated assays for pain-killer compounds: spinal cord recordings and discrimination between layers 1-2 and layers 4-5 in the dorsal horn. Based on the MEA technique, we also provide a quick screening assay on capsaicin-evoked firing activity (validated with reference compounds). 
  • Epilepsy / Ischemic / OGD (Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation) 
  • Stress/Anxiety 
Multi Electrode Array brain slice

Tg Models

We have a long experience in characterizing genetically-modified rodents (mice or rats) for many neurodegenerative, epileptic  and neuro-muscular diseases. 

Compounds can be evaluated in brain slices or spinal cord slices prepared from commercially available transgenic mice or rats (acute exposure or chronic exposure). 

Recordings can be performed in slices prepared from rats (up to 18 months) or mice (up to 24 months). 

SLICE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OFFER

Download our one-pager for a comprehensive overview of our brain slice in vitro electrophysiology solutions for CNS and Pain preclinical drug discovery.

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CASE STUDY - EPILEPSY

in vitro model for pro- or anti- epileptic drug profiling

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CASE STUDY - PAIN

Profiling of painkiller drugs

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CASE STUDY - NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

Tg rodent phenotyping

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CASE STUDY - PATCH CLAMP RECORDING OF STRIATAL SLICES - mEPSCs

We have strong experience in characterizing electrophysiological properties of MSNs in HD mouse models (including R6/2 and zQ175) with or without chronic dosing treatments or acute compound exposure.

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DATA SHEET - WE SUPPORT RESEARCH PROGRAMS TARGETING CATION-CHLORIDE COTRANSPORTERS

Using the perforated patch-clamp technique, we can provide experimental scientific support to drug discovery programs targeting cation-chloride cotransporters.

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CASE STUDY - CATION-CHLORIDE COTRANSPORTERS

Using the perforated patch-clamp technique, we can provide experimental scientific support to drug discovery programs targeting cation-chloride cotransporters.

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A7nachR HBS

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Brain Slice Electrophysiology Experts

Jeffrey Hubbard, PhD
CSO in vitro slice
electrophysiology
Alexander Barre, Phd
Patch Clamp Engineer
Andréas Hoehne, PhD
Patch Clamp Engineer
Benoît Buisson
Software Developer
Camille Bonnin
Patch Clamp Engineer
Camille Sanson
Patch Clamp Engineer
Fabrice Robert
Head of Animal Facilities
Florian Gackiere, Phd
Patch Clamp Engineer
Hélène Savinel
MEA Engineer
Julien Artinian, PhD
Patch Clamp Engineer
Luiza Philipis, PhD
Patch Clamp Engineer
Naomie Touron
MEA Technician
Bruno Buisson, PhD
Co-Founder, President & CSO
Romain Teyssie
MEA Engineer
Saber Graf
Software Developer
Sungjae Yoo, PhD
Patch Clamp Engineer
Vanessa Veyrier
Patch Clamp Engineer