NeuroTox Chips – The Network Formation Assay: A microarray for spatially standardized neurotoxicity screening

– Patterning of neuronal cells within a microarray, with each node equally spaced from neighbouring nodes

– The array format provides assay coordinates, defines neurite length and measures connectivity, a feature central to brain function – e. g. memory and learning – The simple analytical display enables ultrafast (x70), reproducible, quantitative and predictive compound testing Commercial Opportunity The challenge is underpinned by global policy, notably the EPA and Europe’s REACH legislation. There is a strict deadline to provide comprehensive toxicity data, and yet 30,000 compounds are still not adequately tested. Toxicity testing using animal experiments is ethically troubled and extremely expensive and time consuming. In vitro methods are sought to replace the animal tests. However, in neurotoxicology data from in vitro assays fail to correlate with the in vivo data. Of these, a good choice is neurite outgrowth analysis but this approach is enormously difficult and time consuming. Our invention provides an analytical display for ultrafast and predictive compound screening.

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Dipl.-Ing. Alfred Schillert