Compartmentalized Synapse Microarray for High-Throughput Screening

Protocol
First Online:
Part of the Neuromethods book series (NM, volume 103)

Abstract

Dissociated primary neuronal cell culture remains an indispensible approach for neurobiology research in order to investigate basic mechanisms underlying diverse neuronal functions, including synaptogenesis. Synaptic function is affected in many brain diseases and disorders. The bidirectional nature of synaptic signaling and the presence of a multitude of transsynaptic signals make it complicated to study the direct effects of regulatory factors during synapse assembly. Neuron–fibroblast cocultures have proven to be a powerful technique to study several aspects of synaptogenesis; however, they suffer from low throughput and limited quantitative outcome. The development of high-throughput technologies for genetic and chemical screening can be significantly advanced by miniaturization. The recent development in the area of microfabrication and microfluidics has enabled creation of microscale-compartmentalized devices for neurobiology. These devices are cheap, are easy to manufacture, require reduced sample volumes, enable precise control over the cellular microenvironment both spatially and temporally, and permit high-throughput testing. In this chapter, we describe the protocol and methodological considerations for developing synapse microarray that enables ultrasensitive, high-throughput and quantitative screening of small molecules involved in synaptogenesis.

Key words

Compartmentalized assay Synapse microarray Neuron cell culture In vitro models High-throughput screening Synaptogenesis 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Mechanical and Biomedical EngineeringCity University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina

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