Editor's Note
Greetings from Basel!
We at MaxWell Biosystems are proud to present our newest product, MaxTwo. To enable analysis of cells/networks at higher throughput, we developed a high-resolution multi-well microelectrode array. We are organizing a series of events for our MaxTwo World Launch Tour. This MxW Bulletin edition also features an interview with our CTO, Dr. Jan Müller. Finally, we have a list of latest publications using our technology.
Enjoy reading!
Marie
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Introducing
MaxTwo
Multi-Well High-Resolution Microelectrode Array System
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In Brief
Well-Plates
6-Wells
- Total # electrodes: 158,400 (26,400 per well)
- Total # channels: 6,144 (1024 per well)
- Stimulation: Voltage/Current (up to 32 simultaneous sites per well)
Mainframe
- Built-in incubator
- Compatible with liquid-handling systems
- Small build
- Same MaxTwo Mainframe can be used for 6- and 24-wellplates.
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Do you need statistically significant, high-quality electrophysiology readouts for your cell samples? Whether you are doing drug discovery, disease modeling, safety pharmacology or basic neuroscience, an easy to use tool that extracts novel and relevant parameters for comparison between samples is key for success. This is why we at MaxWell Biosystems developed MaxTwo--to perform up to 24 MaxOne experiments in parallel.
MaxTwo high-resolution multi-well MEA system is a complete solution to measure and stimulate excitable cells in-vitro. MaxTwo MEA well-plates start at 6-wells and we will release the 24-well format later this year. The MaxTwo mainframe itself is a mini incubator--with temperature and gas control--so you can keep your cells in a suitable environment during the experiments. It is designed for integration with automation systems.
With MaxTwo, experiments can be done easily. We offer MaxLab Live Assays that allow automated recording and analysis. You are a few clicks away from high-quality results.
Don't miss out! We are accepting orders now.
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To launch MaxTwo, we are traveling around the world to bring MaxTwo closer to our current and future users. In each event, we are organizing a workshop with invited local and international speakers from different fields, such as stem cells, organoids, in-vitro technologies, and neuroengineering. These events allow you to get a close-up view of MaxTwo and for us to get valuable feedback from you.
Are you interested to attend any of our MX2-WLT events? You can get more info regarding the workshop agenda and how to register by clicking the button below.
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MX2-WLT First Stop: Tokyo (April 4, 2019)
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We kicked off our World Launch Tour in Tokyo, during the peak of Sakura. In partnership with our distributor, Physio-Tech, and with the support of the Science and Technology Office of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo, we had a full-house workshop with attendees from pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and academia. The workshop included presentations from Dr. Thomas Meyer of the S&T Office of the Embassy of Switzerland, Dr. Hirokazu Takahashi and Dr. Kenta Shimba both from the University of Tokyo, Dr. Manuel Schröter from ETH Zurich, and from MaxWell Biosystems.
Aside from the talks, MaxOne, MaxTwo, and the new MaxLab Live software were on display. The attendees also enjoyed afternoon snacks including Swiss cheese and wine, as well as a combination of Japanese and Western cuisine for light dinner.
The first WLT stop was a huge success and great fun! Thank you very much to all who attended. We are looking forward to the next five events. Come and meet us if you're in the area!
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Interview: Dr. Jan Müller, CTO, MaxWell Biosystems
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Dr. Jan Müller, CTO
MaxWell Biosystems
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Hi Jan, very exciting news about the launch of MaxTwo!
Indeed, we are very excited to launch our new product, MaxTwo. Since the beginnings of MaxWell Biosystems, it was always clear to us: to make our technology and its high-quality data accessible to a wide audience, we need a multi-well system. Now, after many months of intense work, we are ready to launch MaxTwo to the market. A truly satisfying moment. We are excited to see how our customers make use of it.
Can you tell us more about the innovation behind the first multi-well HD-MEA?
It might sound surprising, but to me, one critical point while developing MaxTwo was that there is not much innovation. Instead, we are reusing the same 26’400-electrodes CMOS sensor for the multi-well as we were already using for the single well system, MaxOne. Reusing the same sensor allowed us to develop the system very fast and get to the market quickly — obviously a key aspect. We could also directly translate a lot of the learning we had with the single-well platform to the new multi-well platform.
Of course, MaxTwo also comes with its fair share of innovations. For example, we integrated an incubation chamber into the readout mainframe to control temperature, humidity, and CO2. There are motors inside the mainframe to enable a fully autonomous operation through lab automation robots. Also, we have further enhanced our software to simplify the operation of the system and provide a one-click user experience.
What’s next in the MxW Tech pipeline?
First of all, we have plans to integrate more wells into one plate. Already in summer, we will have a 24 well-plate available, still using the same 26’400-electrode CMOS sensor. The 24-well system will be fully compatible with the 6-well system and customers will be able to upgrade at any time. For the future, 48 and 96 well-plates are on our roadmap.
Besides that, we are continuously working on adapting our software to the needs of our users. We are integrating new assays and new data analysis techniques to automate the extraction of novel features from the raw data. We are also continuously improving our accessories and keep adding new features, for example, current-controlled stimulation capabilities. Plus, we have a few exciting announcements planned for the end of this year, which I cannot disclose yet - stay tuned!
How do you foresee the future of microelectrode array technology?
We are clearly at a tipping point of electrophysiology research. The recent advent of iPSC technology and its increasingly widespread use in academia as well as in the pharmaceutical industry fuel the demand to record the electrical activity of cells with higher precision and higher statistical significance than what was previously possible.
Previously, MEAs were primarily used simply to count the number of spikes per well. Novel high-resolution MEAs, such as our systems, record much more detailed data, providing more profound insights into the behavior of single cells within their networks. It is exciting to see how researchers in pharmaceutical companies and academia will make best use of such enhanced data for their work.
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Next Conferences and Exhibitions
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Swiss Biotech Day
7 May 2019 | Basel, Switzerland
SSNGE 2019
24-25 May 2019 | Edinburgh, Scotland
ISSCR 2019
26-29 June 2019 | Los Angeles, CA, USA
The 42nd Annual Meeting of the JNS
25-28 July 2019 | Niigata, Japan
ERM 2019
12-14 September 2019 | Helsinki, Finland
IBRO 2019
21-25 September 2019 | Daegu, South Korea
SfN 2019
19-23 October 2019 | Chicago, Illinois
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Latest Publications using MxW Technology
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Electrical Stimulation
S. Ronchi, et al., "Single-cell electrical stimulation using CMOS-based high-density microelectrode arrays", Frontiers in Neuroscience 2019, 13, Article 208 (DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00208). Online
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