Webinar Summary
The Neuromuscular Junction (NMJ) is the critical electrophysiological interface between motor neurons and skeletal muscle, and its proper function is vital to human health. Functional disruptions at this synapse are central to debilitating genetic diseases like ALS, SMA, and Myasthenia Gravis, as well as the effects of life-threatening neurotoxins. Historically, researchers have had to choose between animal models which are limited by species-specific physiology and simplified 2D cultures that lack the structural and functional complexity of human tissues. This persistent translational gap has slowed therapeutic discovery and limited the reliability of potency testing.
In this webinar, Curi Bio introduces a human 3D engineered neuromuscular junction platform designed to overcome these limitations. Built on the Mantarray™ ecosystem, this human-relevant system integrates iPSC-derived motor neuron neurospheres with 3D engineered skeletal muscle tissues in a scalable 24-well format. The platform enables rapid assembly of functional neuromuscular co-cultures within approximately 3 weeks, making advanced tissue models accessible without specialized tissue-engineering expertise.
We will delve into the technical innovations driving this platform, including:
Optogenetic Functional Sensing: How blue-light activation of motor neurons enables real-time, specific measurement of synaptic transmission and neuron-mediated muscle contraction.
Structural Maturity: Evidence from immunohistochemistry showing in mature morphology, including co-localization of axons, myotubes, and acetylcholine receptors.
Innervation-Driven Maturation: RNA-seq transcriptomics and force-frequency data demonstrating that innervation drives advanced skeletal muscle maturity and MyHC isoform shifts.
High-Throughput Potency Assays: Validation of the system as a robust, ethical alternative to animal lethality tests, with Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) potency measurements showing superior sensitivity and minimal variability.
Flexible Disease Modeling: Lentiviral delivery of Channelrhodopsin-2 enables rapid integration of diverse motor neuron cell lines, facilitating scalable modeling of neuromuscular diseases such as ALS and SMA.
Join Dr. Jacob W. Fleming and Dr. Thomas Leahy to learn how you can leverage these advanced 3D neuromuscular junction models to generate decision-driving data for your research and therapeutic discovery pipelines.
Date & Time
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 8:00-9:00am PT (11:00am ET / 4:00pm CET)
Speaker Details
Dr. Jacob W Fleming
Sr. Research Scientist at Curi Bio
Dr. Jacob W Fleming
Sr. Research Scientist at Curi Bio
Dr. Fleming has an extensive background in musculoskeletal tissue engineering and cell biology. He leads tissue engineering research projects within Curi Bio and is currently heading the development of Curi Bio’s neuromuscular junction model.
Dr. Thomas Leahy
Field Applications Scientist at Curi Bio
Dr. Thomas Leahy
Field Applications Scientist at Curi Bio
Dr. Leahy is a Field Applications Scientist at Curi Bio with a background in musculoskeletal and cardiovascular research, biomechanics, and 3D tissue engineering. He supports the adoption of Curi Bio’s technologies by collaborating with internal scientists and partnering directly with customers to expand applications across cardiac, skeletal muscle, and neuromuscular research.
Register Now to Secure Your Spot
Submit the form below to register for this live webinar + Q&A session. Registration will close 24 hours before the event.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns.