MEA-Ready Neural Cultures (Plated, Matured, Delivered Active)
Human neurons plated onto multi-electrode arrays, matured to spontaneous network activity, and delivered as a live recording-ready culture.
| Category | Neural Cultures & Electrode Interfaces |
|---|---|
| Unit | One MEA plate or well array delivered with an active, characterised network |
| Lead time | quote-dependent; maturation alone is typically multi-week after cell delivery |
| Pricing | By quotation |
| Provenance | Custom RFQ |
| Data current | 2026-09-01 |
Description
Neurons plated onto a multi-electrode array, co-cultured with astrocytes, and matured in a partner facility until the network shows the spontaneous spiking and burst activity the buyer actually needs, then delivered live rather than as a frozen vial. The gap this closes is a real one: cryopreserved neurons are cheap and public-priced, but between the vial and a usable network sit four to eight weeks of coating, plating density optimisation, feeding schedules and glial support during which a lab without primary culture experience frequently fails outright. Every input is a catalog item we already broker — iXCells cortical neurons at $643 per million and iPSC astrocytes at $1,081 are live-verified public prices — and the maturation is contract wet-work. eNUVIO advertises neural spheroids and customised assay development using its own devices, and Creative Bioarray advertises custom 3D culture model development, so there are live quote channels. What no vendor advertises is a delivered, active, MEA-plated human network with a stated activity acceptance criterion, and delivery logistics for a live active culture are materially harder than for a frozen vial. Treat this as a development offering, not a shelf product.
Why this is hard to buy today
You can buy neurons and you can buy an MEA, but nobody will sell you a network that is already firing, so the buyer absorbs the entire four-to-eight-week maturation risk with no acceptance criterion and no recourse if the culture never matures.
Price evidence
No supplier prices a delivered MEA-ready culture. Cell inputs are public: iXCells cortical neurons $643 per 1M vial and iPSC astrocytes $1,081 per vial (live store API, 2026-09-01). MEA hardware and the maturation service are separate and unpriced.
These are supplier list prices we located and recorded, not a quotation from Wetware World. Your price depends on quantity, specification and freight, and is only binding once issued in writing.
What you must specify
A quote cannot be produced without these. Anything you leave open, a supplier will assume — usually expensively.
| # | Parameter |
|---|---|
| 01 | MEA hardware platform and plate format the culture must be compatible with |
| 02 | Neuronal subtype and genotype |
| 03 | Astrocyte co-culture ratio |
| 04 | Plating density per electrode area |
| 05 | Network activity acceptance criterion (e.g. mean firing rate, burst frequency, synchrony index) |
| 06 | Culture age at delivery |
| 07 | Delivery mode: live shipped culture vs plated-and-frozen vs customer plates in-house |
| 08 | Required post-delivery viable culture lifetime |
Quality documentation
Typically available with this item. What actually ships is confirmed on the quotation, per supplier.
- Cell certificates of analysis for neurons and astrocytes
- Pre-shipment electrophysiological activity record (must be contracted explicitly)
- Viability at release
- Sterility and mycoplasma
Candidate suppliers
Organisations we have identified as capable. Listing does not imply a partnership, an endorsement, or that they have agreed to quote.
| Organisation | Basis for inclusion |
|---|---|
| eNUVIO (contract research) | Service list explicitly includes '3D MUSCLE CULTURES // NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION MODELS (2D-3D)' and 'NEURAL SPHEROIDS'. States 'we do not offer off-the-shelf assays but rather develop customized assays'. |
| Creative Bioarray | Custom 3D cell culture model development including cell patterning for skeletal muscle models. Quote-driven, execution quality unproven. |
| iXCells Biotechnologies | Public WooCommerce Store API returns live USD list prices per SKU; queried directly 2026-09-01. |
| Creative Biolabs | Advertises Muscle-On-A-Chip Model Development Service providing 'customized, in vitro 3D skeletal muscle models', will use patient cells or CRISPR-engineer mutations, and will tailor device design and culture protocols including mechanical stimulation. Execution quality against a force spec is unproven. |
Sources
doc WW-NI-35246 · rev 2026-09-01 · research use only · prices indicative and not binding until quoted in writing