The Compresstome® has been widely used by some of the top researchers around the world to study brain tissue, such as the Allen Institute for Brain Science, John Hopkins University, etc. Scientists have been able to successfully patch slices from Compresstome® sections ranging from neonatal mice to 24 months old mice! Thus, our vibrating microtome is useful for studies of neurodevelopment in young animal models, as well as for neurodegenerative diseases in mature animal models, which are especially difficult to cut.

The Compresstome’s® patented technology helps stabilize the tissue with a gentle compression effect during cutting which enables it to section fresh brain tissue with smoother tissue surfaces and healthier neurons for recordings. Brain slices section with the Compresstome® have been shown to:

  • Easy to Start Patching: have 6X as many viable cells.
  • Easy to Finish patching: Cells can last for multiple hours during patching.

Recommended Model/s

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Real lab examples

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Reflections on a decade of patching in adult brain slices

Jonathan T. Ting is an Assistant Investigator at the Allen Institute, where he joined in 2013 to provide electrophysiology expertise for the Human Cell Types program, and to develop functional assays on human ex vivo brain slides. In this webinar, Dr. Ting discusses which key steps in the brain slice process is most important and why, and challenges our conventional beliefs of slicing solutions and methodologies.

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Using electrophysiological methods to examine e-cigarette flavors’ effect on dopamine neuron function

Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Henderson and his focus on the role tobacco and vaping flavors play in addiction-related behaviors, and uses the Compresstome® vibrating microtome to make all of their acute brain slices for patch-clamp electrophysiology.

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Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method

Often heralded as leaders in the field, the Allen Brain institute performs pioneering research on all manner of brain tissue. Working with brain tissue can often be as frustrating as it is rewarding. Slicing brain tissue presents many challenges. The tissue is a combination of soft and fibrous regions. For over a decade, researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have been using the Compresstome® vibrating microtome to help give them better brain slices with increased longevity and reduced damage to surface neurons. This enables neuroscientists to have healthy neurons for patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments.

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Genetic Manipulation of the Mouse Developing Hypothalamus Through In Utero Electroporation

Researchers have used the Compresstome® in their procedure to section mouse embryo hypothalamus that has been injected with DNA and electroporated. This procedure demonstrates how it is possible to transfect nuclei in the hypothalamus region which are less accessible than those in superficial regions. Following this procedure additional experiments can be performed such as immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

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Investigating how sodium channels regulate the firing of cerebellar Purkinje neurons requires healthy brain slices

Dr. Ransdell explores how the Compresstome vibrating microtome is used to produce healthy brain slices for electrophysiology. He studies adult Purkinje neurons in mouse cerebellar brain slices.

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Using calcium imaging and electrophysiology to explore the interaction between neurons and astrocytes in addiction

In this webinar, Dr. Wang will:

  • Discuss to quantify nascent silent synapses using electrophysiology
  • Explore how to perform ex vivo calcium imaging on brain slices
  • Share tips & tricks of brain sectioning to help reduce frustration for electrophysiology recordings

References

Buffington SA, Di Prisco GV, Auchtung TA, Ajami NJ, Petrosino JF,
Costa-Mattioli M. Microbial Reconstitution Reverses Maternal Diet-Induced Social
and Synaptic Deficits in Offspring. Cell. 2016 Jun 16;165(7):1762-75. PMID: 27315483; PMCID: PMC5102250. Download PDF

Kim S, Ma L, Yu CR. Requirement of calcium-activated chloride channels in the activation of mouse vomeronasal neurons. Nat Commun. 2011 Jun 21;2:365. PMID: 21694713; PMCID: PMC3156823. Download PDF

Kim S, Ma L, Jensen KL, Kim MM, Bond CT, Adelman JP, Yu CR. Paradoxical
contribution of SK3 and GIRK channels to the activation of mouse vomeronasal
organ. Nat Neurosci. 2012 Sep;15(9):1236-44. PMID: 22842147; PMCID: PMC3431453. Download PDF

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