JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Neuroscience
0 views • 2:53 min • August 7th, 2025
Begin with a dish containing a micro-column. The micro-column has a hydrogel outer shell and an extracellular matrix, or ECM core.
Add drops of culture medium to the same dish.
Transfer the neuronal cell aggregates into the dish, then place them into one of the medium droplets.
Observe under a stereomicroscope and insert cell aggregates at both ends of the micro-column.
Then, transfer the seeded micro-column into the medium for cellular viability.
Incubate to allow the cell attachment to the ECM.
Using the stereomicroscope, confirm cell attachment. Then, add culture medium to cover the dish and incubate.
The attached neurons begin to extend their axons through the ECM.
Regularly replace the half-medium with a fresh medium to maintain the nutrient levels.
Over time, the axons grow and span the entire length of the micro-column, forming neural networks.
The developed micro-tissue engineered neural network is ready to reconstruct the damaged neural circuitry.
Proceed to cell seeding immediately after incubation. Transfer approximately 10 to 20 microliters of culture medium to two free areas in the Petri dishes holding the micro columns. Use a micropipette to collect the neuronal aggregates indi
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