Making the Connection: Activating muscle cells in a dish to aid in chem-bio medical countermeasure discovery and development
Microelectrode array (MEA) with cell guide. The NMJ model is established on a MEA surface to enable spatially localized detection of neuromuscular signals resulting from the firing of the synapse. The cell guide mounted on the array is part of the process of growing the muscle and nerve cells with the right anatomical organization. (DTRA image) Multiwell system with LED: The NMJ is established in culture dishes like this to start development of a high throughput NMJ model system. For this prototype, a custom-made array of LED lights allows multiple NMJ setups to simultaneously be stimulated with light to trigger nerve firing. (DTRA image)
