Organoid Electrophsyiology

Move beyond cell composition and gene expression to measure true physiological model performance in real time in structurally-complex 3D brain organoids

Current 2D planar electrode arrays and 3D organoids are like square pegs and round holes... there has to be a better way...

SomaFocus3d leverages our renowned in vivo silicon neural probe technology to provide exceptional quality high-resolution electrophysiological recordings from inside intact complex 3D organoids, all in a purpose-designed push-button instrument for high-throughput screening of real-time physiological function, which can complement "-omic" approaches to truly validate model performance far beyond neurostructural and biochemical markers alone. Designed and optimised for single-unit recording in cell layers, the small and spatially-selective, yet low-impedance electrodes on our probes offer an optimal geometry for tandem multiple entry points across the active outer layers of intact organoids, whilst both preserving tissue structure and intrinsic activity signatures, far overcoming the significant limitations of conventional planar 2D MEA multi-electrode array (MEA) organoid systems.

SomaFocus3d represents a paradigm shit above and beyond the current "go-to" state-of-the-art technologies for organoid electrophysiology which are based on 2D planar MEAs which are of course geometrically incongruous with 3D organoids; at best they allow for recording from the bottom surface of an organoid and commonly require aggressive physical-compression or slicing of the organoid which, of course, disrupts the complex internal structure of the tissue by destroying the key cell-to-cell interactions found in the human brain.

Assess electrophysiological function and model quality

With SomaFocus3d, you can detect excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, disrupted network synchrony, and circuit-level dysfunction across the 3D volume in models of Alzheimer’s, autism, epilepsy, and more. The SomaFocus3d system can be used with a wide range of organoid types, ranging from cerebral organoids, retinal organoids (and even cardiac organoids), enabling measurement of real-time responses to drug candidates and pinpointing which neural populations are affected through spike shape and morphology, backed up with machine-learning based analytical workflows. These functional insights reveal whether your model behaves like the disease and help you to prioritize therapeutic leads before advancing to in-vivo studies, streamlining the path from screening to discovery.

Disease models for drug discovery

Move beyond cell composition and gene expression to measure true physiological performance in real time. SomaFocus3d delivers high-throughput, high-resolution readouts of organoid electrophysiological function—revealing whether mature networks are forming, intrinsic circuits are functionally active, and whether models are viable and ready for downstream experiments. Complement your -omics data by asking the critical question: Does it function like the disease — not just express similar markers?

Bespoke systems for multimodal investigation

Beyond the push-button SomaFocus3d system you also use our renowned silicon neural probes in your own bespoke organoid setup, wherein you can integrate multimodal investigations leveraging optogenetics and imaging techniques. Be sure to check out our methodology-focussed webinars to explore these topics in-depth.