Live-Cell Analysis Handbook

Sartorius has announced the publication of the third edition of its Live-Cell Analysis Handbook, a publication for a broad range of scientists who perform cell biology assays as part of their research. In this latest edition, there are two new chapters.

Optimization and characterization of neuronal and neuroimmune cell models, especially human iPSC-derived models, continues to be a focus for cellular neuroscientists in search of relevant disease models.  In Kinetic Assays for Studying Neuronal Cell Models, Sartorius describe a suite of assays that enable study of cellular structure and function.  “This chapter showcases data ranging from chemotactic movement and phagocytic activity of microglia to long term measurements of neuronal activity,” said Kimberly Wicklund, Ph.D., Head of Product Management for IncuCyte® at Sartorius Corporation.

“Of particular interest for those developing neuronal disease models is our new neuronal activity assay. With our unique patent-pending technology, we can quantify when neurons become active and form connected networks over weeks or even months in 96-well plates, all while the cells stay stationary inside the incubator.  This capability can drastically improve productivity during development of differentiation protocols for iPSC-derived neuronal models.”

Also tackled in this handbook is a challenging issue facing researchers as live-cell imaging technology becomes more accessible - how do you accurately and systematically identify relevant biological data from thousands of images?  In Techniques for Efficient Live-Cell Image Analysis, the steps required to do this are explained.  “In the case of the IncuCyte®, we streamline these steps so that the user can easily get from an image to an answer,” said Wicklund.