Featured News

MaxWell Biosystems Completes CHF4 million Series A Financing Round

We are thrilled to announce the closing of a CHF 4 Million Series A financing round together with Sensirion, the leading manufacturer of digital microsensors and systems, and other existing shareholders and business angels. With this financing round, MaxWell Biosystems is welcoming Dr. Matthias Streiff, Sensor Innovation at Sensirion, as a new board member.

This collaboration will allow us to further industrialize and scale-up the production of our multiwell HD-MEA plates. This is a major milestone toward the functional drug screenings at higher throughput, and therefore towards the acceleration of the development of novel drugs targeting the brain.

You can read more about this in the following press release:

User Interview

Dr. Kenta Shimba, University of Tokyo

Hello Kenta, could you please summarize your research for us?
We have been studying network dynamics and axonal function in neuronal network. Recently, I'm interested in axon propagation as a function. Neural axons have been regarded simply as cables for conducting activities. Recently, however, it has been reported that signal modulation occurs during signal propagation, and axons are considered to be one of the computational units. We have been studying the combination of conventional MEA and microdevices to guide axons into microtunnels and measure their activity. We confirmed that spontaneous activity causes a transient decrease in the conduction velocity. We are also interested in the myelin sheath, which is the structure wrapping the axon, and one of our study topics is to understand the process of myelination and how the conduction function of the axon changes during demyelination and remyelination.
 
Could you describe the way you are using MaxOne for your research?
We mainly use the MaxOne system for axon recording. We firstly identified the location of cell bodies using activity scans, and then identified the location of axons extending from each cell. We are challenging to evaluate the dynamics of spatial activity propagation because HD-MEA allows us to record activity from axons at higher density. 
 
Which specific feature(s) of MaxOne do you appreciate the most?
I like the ability to record the signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio from a large number of electrodes. This allows us to measure even small signals such as axon signals.
 
You have recently published an abstract in IEEE and also presented posters in ISSCR and FENS about axon research. How did MaxOne help you in your axonal studies?
With conventional MEAs, the number of electrodes that can measure the signal from axons of a neuron is about 10 at most. Contrary, MaxOne can measure signals from more than 100 electrodes. This provides information on the shape and local conduction velocity of the axon.

Have there been any challenges and how did MaxWell Biosystems help to resolve them?
We are challenging to measure the saltatory conduction occurring in myelinated axons. If we can measure saltatory conduction, we can model dysfunction caused by demyelination and the relief of symptoms by remyelination in a dish. For this purpose, we need to measure the signals with high temporal and spatial resolution, and MaxOne helps us to do this.

Do you have hobbies you would like to share with our readers?
I like to do Kendo on weekend. Kendo is a Japanese traditional martial arts, like fencing. We aim to strike appropriate parts with a bamboo sword. I’m learning the Samurai philosophy through practicing Kendo.

Thanks a lot for your time Kenta! It was great to hear how MaxOne could help you in your axonal research. We wish you all the best for your upcoming research!

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