Neuromuscular Junction Co-Culture Model
Motor neurons and myotubes co-cultured in a compartmentalised device so that neural stimulation drives muscle contraction.
| Category | Engineered Contractile Tissue |
|---|---|
| Unit | One device (6 experiments in the OMEGA-NMJ format) or one completed co-culture program |
| Lead time | quote-dependent; typically several weeks of co-culture after cell delivery |
| Pricing | By quotation |
| Provenance | Custom RFQ |
| Data current | 2026-09-01 |
Description
A two-compartment culture in which motor neurons are seeded in one chamber and myotubes in another, with axons crossing a microchannel array to form functional neuromuscular junctions, giving a system where stimulating the neural side produces measurable contraction on the muscle side. eNUVIO sells the enabling device — the OMEGA-NMJ-on-a-chip, a 6-experiment neuromuscular junction device — and separately advertises 'NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION MODELS (2D-3D)' within its contract research service list, while stating it does not offer off-the-shelf assays but develops customised ones. That combination is what makes this brokerable: one supplier holds both the hardware and the wet-work capability. The cell inputs are catalog items we already broker — iPSC-derived motor neurons and skeletal myoblasts — so the buildable package is device plus cells plus contract culture. The device carries no public price and the service is quote-only, so this is a genuine RFQ rather than a configurable product.
Why this is hard to buy today
The device, the motor neurons, the myoblasts and the co-culture expertise are four separate purchases from three or more vendors, and the integration risk — whether junctions actually form — sits entirely with the buyer.
Price evidence
eNUVIO OMEGA-NMJ-on-a-chip (6 experiments) returns a zero price in the public store API, meaning quote-only (checked 2026-09-01). Comparable eNUVIO neuronal co-culture devices with published prices run $285.00 to $425.00 per 4-8 experiment pack, which brackets the likely device cost but is not a quote for this SKU.
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 | Motor neuron source and genotype (normal / ALS mutant / isogenic control) |
| 02 | Muscle cell source (iPSC-derived myoblasts, primary human, or rodent) |
| 03 | 2D or 3D muscle compartment |
| 04 | Readout required (contraction imaging, calcium imaging, MEA on the neural side, force) |
| 05 | Number of experimental replicates and conditions |
| 06 | Culture duration required before handover |
| 07 | Whether the buyer wants the device only, the device plus cells, or the completed culture |
Quality documentation
Typically available with this item. What actually ships is confirmed on the quotation, per supplier.
- Device fabrication QC by the manufacturer
- Cell certificates of analysis for both cell inputs
- Evidence of junction formation (to be negotiated as a deliverable, not assumed)
- Sterility
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'. |
| eNUVIO (custom microfabrication) | Advertises design, prototyping and cleanroom production of custom PDMS devices, features in the 1 um range, high aspect ratio molding, glass bonding and surface modification. 'A few custom devices or large batch production.' Quote form only. |
| 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-CT-72587 · rev 2026-09-01 · research use only · prices indicative and not binding until quoted in writing