Calcium Imaging Assay Service

Neuronal calcium imaging technology is an important tool in current neuroscience research. The technology is based on the tight relationship between calcium ion concentration and neuronal activity, and converts changes in calcium ion concentration into changes in fluorescence intensity using special fluorescent dyes or protein fluorescent probes.

Applications

Functional imaging of isolated neuronal synapses
Monitoring calcium signals in the hippocampus
Detecting neuronal activity

Advantages

Imaging capabilities with high resolution and multimodality

Monitor neural activity in real time

Multicolor imaging and long-term observation

High level of sensitivity and high spatial resolution

Case Study: Monitoring calcium signaling in cortical neurons differentiated from human stem cells

Human neural stem cells were differentiated into cortical neuronal networks that could be maintained as living cultures in a dish for up to 120 days.

Fig 1 Differentiation of human neural stem cells (NSCs) into neurons. Fig.1 Neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells (NSCs). A) Workflow of neuronal maintenance and differentiation. B)
Phase contrast images of NSCs and cultures during differentiation.¹

Fig 2 Images of cortical neuronal marker staining. Fig.2 Representative images of cortical neuronal marker staining.¹

To characterize the development of neuronal activity, intracellular calcium levels were measured using Fluo-4 AM and Fura-2 AM. This was done to assess the changes in intracellular calcium transients during in vitro development.

Fig 3 Ca2+ transients. Fig.3 Ca²⁺ transients during in vitro differentiation.1 A) to E) show calcium transients recorded at 7, 14, 21, 30, and 45 DIV.¹

Available Neuronal Models

Available Models	Descriptions
Human iPSC-Derived neurons	Patient-derived iPSCs are a popular model for studying neurodegenerative diseases because they retain the genetic and epigenetic information of the donor while still having the ability to proliferate. These properties allow researchers to study several different cell types with the same genetic background or to perform experiments that require large amounts of material.
Primary Cultures	Primary cell culture is the gold standard for neuroscience research and has historically been a key platform for basic research and drug discovery. At Creative Biolabs, we have a broad range of primary brain neurons to provide a successful foundation for your calcium imaging studies.
Neuronal Cell Lines	Leveraging cell line model offers significant advantages for preliminary calcium investigation, including reliable and consistent readouts, coupled with cost-effectiveness.
Ex vivo brain slices	Brain slice cultures preserve the complex cellular and spatial architecture of the brain, making them the closest in vitro model to in vivo conditions. Therefore, experiments performed using these cultures can provide data similar to in vivo experiments while avoiding the long time required for in vivo experiments.

At Creative Biolabs, we offer a range of options for customizing neuronal calcium imaging to meet your specific requirements. In addition, we provide high-quality materials, data, and insights to enhance the success of your project. Please contact us to discuss your project plans in more detail.

Reference

Sharma, Yojet, et al. "In vitro human stem cell derived cultures to monitor calcium signaling in neuronal development and function." Wellcome Open Research 5 (2020). Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.

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