
Preparing the SpheroHD Chip
- Pipette 10 μl of fibronectin solution (50 µg/mL in PBS) into each of the four chambers of the Ibidi insert on the SpheroHD chip.
- Incubate the FN-coated SpheroHD chip in a cell culture incubator at 37°C, 5% CO2 for at least 60 minutes.
Culturing and Plating Cardiac Spheroids
Aspirate FN from the chambers and add 10 µl of cardiac spheroid media to each
chamber of the Ibidi insert on the SpheroHD chip.Tip: More information on proper handling of the Ibidi 4 well FulTrac mico insert can be found on Ibidi’s website (Cat. No: 80486).
- Using the provided single-well centrifuge holder and a balance, centrifuge at 1500 x g for 1 minute to remove bubbles.
- Using a 200 µl wide-bore pipette tip, add one cardiac spheroid from culture to each chamber of the Ibidi insert on the SpheroHD. To transfer, pipette up the spheroid, allow it to fall to the bottom of the wide bore tip, and touch the tip to the media in the chamber. This will pull the spheroid from the pipette tip into the chamber.
- Centrifuge at 100 x g for 1 minute using the provided single-well centrifuge holder to bring the spheroids to the bottom of the chambers. Check under the microscope to ensure that all spheroids are positioned over the electrodes at the bottom of the well. Repeat or increase speed if necessary.
- Once the spheroids are in place, incubate the SpheroHD MEA chip in a cell culture incubator at 37°C, 5% CO2 for 1 hour.
- Add enough cardiac spheroid media (about 1.75 mL) to cover the top surface of the Ibidi insert. Maximum volume for the SpheroHD chip is 2 mL.
- Take recordings using the MEA Creator Kit on the Maestro Pro, Edge, or Volt as desired.
Required Materials
Consumables
| Item | Vendor | Catalog # |
| Axion SpheroHD MEA Chip | Axion BioSystems | |
| Cardiac Spheroid Media | Various | |
| Fibronectin | Roche | 11051407001 |
| Sterile DI water | Thermo Fisher | 14040 |
Equipment
| Item | Vendor | Catalog # |
| Maestro Pro MEA System | Axion BioSystems | |
| MEA Creator Kit | Axion BioSystems | |
| AxIS Navigator | Axion BioSystems | |
| 37°C Water Bath | Various | |
| Cell Culture Incubator | Various | |
| Biological Safety Cabinet | Various | |
| Tabletop Centrifuge | Various | |
| Phase Contrast Microscope | Various |