An innovative approach for conducting 3D electrophysiological recordings within intact organoids. — The Association Specialists

An innovative approach for conducting 3D electrophysiological recordings within intact organoids. (21880)

Kerri Kukovetz 1 , Peter Jones 2 , Tom Stumpp 2 , Sara Mirsadeghi 3 , Michael Mierzejewski 2 , Angelika Stumpf 2 , Haein Chang 2 , Udo Kraushaar 2 , Ali Hosseini 4 , Michele Giugliano 4 , Jenny Hsieh 3
  1. Multi Channel Systems GmbH, Reutlingen, BADEN-WüRTTEMBERG, Germany
  2. NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, BW, Germany
  3. Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA, San Antonio, Texas, United States
  4. Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Sciences, Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Organoid technology is a pivotal tool for exploring human physiology and diseases. Despite its potential, current readout capabilities constrain organoid electrophysiological research. Classical microelectrode arrays (MEA) fall short in capturing data from intact organoids, which may flatten in the 2D-MEA surface, jeopardizing physiological responses and data validity. To overcome this, we pioneered a mesh MEA, reducing morphological deformations, fostering 3D growth, and facilitating electrical activity recording within intact organoids over an extended period. Electrophysiological recordings of human brain organoids were performed in an MEA-2100 head stage from MultiChannel Systems, accommodating classical MEA and mesh MEA chips. Extracellular neural activity, sampled at 25 kHz and filtered at 400 Hz for spike detection, accurately reflected action potential events on the membrane. Neuronal migration around the mesh was monitored using light microscopy. The mesh MEA integrates 60 titanium nitride electrodes (30 μm diameter) at the nodes of a 2D polymer mesh with a pitch of 200 μm and filament width of ~20 μm and thickness of ~10 μm. The mesh scaffold is suspended 2 mm from the bottom of the well. From preliminary measurements, spike time analysis revealed heightened activity after seven days on the mesh MEA (mean firing rate 34 Hz) compared to acute recordings on a classical MEA (5 Hz). Microscopy images illustrated neuronal migration, dendritic growth, and axon development around the mesh structure and electrodes. These findings suggest that the mesh MEA holds great promise for comprehensive, long-term organoid electrophysiological studies, providing deeper insights into human functions and disorders.