OMEGANMJ
NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION DEVICES
The OMEGANMJ device series features neuromuscular junction devices that help you model the neuromuscular physiology in vitro.
Each experimental unit of this specialized microfluidic co-culture device consists of one neuronal chamber and one muscle chamber connected by microchannels. To aid the formation of stable and mature 3D skeletal muscle microtissue, the muscle chamber contains two built-in micropillars that serve as anchor points.
The OMEGANMJ employs microfluidic microchannels to fluidically isolate the adjacent chambers. This provides physical distance between the neuron and skeletal muscle cultures while allowing neuronal axonal projections full access to the 3D muscle tissue.
Each OMEGANMJ features two experimental units so you can easily collect more data. As always, all devices come ready-to-go and pre-bonded!
Check out the TOP ADVANTAGES, APPLICATIONS, FORMATS, and USER GUIDES below!
TOP ADVANTAGES
LONG-TERM CULTURES
Current attempts of modeling the neuromuscular junction in vitro rely on culturing monolayers of skeletal muscle. The problem is, monolayer cultures (i.e. 2D) of skeletal muscle do not fully mature as they cannot be kept in culture for a sufficient period of time. Thanks to the two built-in micropillars in the muscle chamber, 3D skeletal muscle microtissues can form! Compared to monolayer cultures, these self-assembled 3D cultures are more stable for long-term culture applications and mature rapidly and more completely, making 3D skeletal muscle cultures ideal for establishing long-term motoneuron-muscle co-cultures.
PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT
In the body, motor neuron somas do not come in physical contact with skeletal muscle. Rather, neurons interact exclusively through their projecting axons with the muscle. Devices of the OMEGANMJ series help replicate neuromuscular junctions in vitro by employing microfabricated channels, which physically separate the neuron’s soma from the muscle culture. Despite their small size, the microchannels are large enough for axons, but not cell bodies, to pass through and interact with muscle tissue located in the adjacent chamber, creating a great model for neuromuscular diseases and healthy physiologies alike.
CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT
Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of the OMEGA96-NMJ! To offer you more options, we are currently developing this HTS-compatible neuromuscular junction device. For now, we offer you the OMEGANMJ with two experiments per device. If you are just starting out, we recommend getting the Starter Kit, which has everything you need to get off the ground. Jumping directly to neuron-3D muscle co-cultures seems daunting and you would rather go step by step and build up to a full neuromuscular junction model? Then make sure to check out the basic OMEGA device and the OMEGAMP device!
START RIGHT AWAY
We know bonding devices can be a real hassle! That's why we ship our OMEGANMJ devices pre-bonded and completely ready-to-go so that you can focus on performing experiments without losing any time. OMEGANMJ devices are pre-bonded to a ~200µm high-transmissive PDMS base. All devices come sterile in PBS. There is no need for you to use any plasma treatment!
ACCESS CULTURES DIRECTLY
The unique open chamber design gives you direct access to your cultures! With OMEGANMJ devices, you can explore new types of experimental paradigms not possible with standard closed-chamber devices. For example, chambers are large enough to house tissues that are several millimeters in diameter, easily accommodating tissue explants or self-assembled 3D cultures (e.g. spheroids, organoids) in addition to primary or iPSC-derived neurons. Additionally, conventional patch-clamp electrodes can openly access the cultures, allowing you to examine the electrophysiological properties of the cultures.
AFFORDABLE
Thanks to the streamlined design of only two chambers per experimental unit, the OMEGANMJ device accommodates more experiments per area compared to conventional (and less advanced!) neuronal co-culture devices. With the OMEGANMJ, you can build next-generation neuromuscular junction models, while increasing your data output and saving money! Get everything you need to set up your experiments with our OMEGANMJ starter kits and save money later with the OMEGANMJ refill kits. We are also working on an HTS-compatible OMEGANMJ version, so that you can save even more!
APPLICATIONS
STUDY NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTIONS
By harnessing the potential of microfluidics and self-assembled 3D cultures, the OMEGANMJ is the ideal platform for the development of next-generation models and assays of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophies (e.g. Duchenne’s, Becker’s), Kennedy’s disease (SBMA) and ALS.
FORMATS
OMEGANMJ
Every OMEGANMJ-4 device contains two pairs of adjoined chambers, meaning that two independent experiments can be performed with one device.
Starter kit includes:
3 x OMEGANMJ devices (shipped sterile)
3 x circular cell culture evaporation minimizers (reusable)
3 x 35 mm round culture dishes (sterile)
1 x 35 mm microscope stage adapter (reusable)
Refill kit includes:
3 x OMEGANMJ devices (shipped sterile)
SKU: eN-onmj-001 (starter kit)
SKU: eN-onmj-002 (refill kit)
OMEGA96-NMJ
Every OMEGANMJ-96 device contains 48 pairs of adjoined chambers, meaning that 48 independent experiments can be performed with one device.
USER GUIDE
