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SynaptoKit: New kit for synaptosomal preparation

Introduction

Synaptosomes,  isolated synaptic terminals from neuronal tissue, are becoming more frequently used in drug discovery and basic neuroscience research to study synaptic function in-vitro since they contain all the necessary molecular machinery for the uptake, storage, and release of neurotransmitters.

 

 

The Technology

 Preparation of synaptosomes is a time consuming process which also require special equipment and expertise. The synaptosome is composed of 3 fractions- Crude synaptosome (CD) Post-synaptic Density Fraction (PSD; pure synaptosomes) and the Pre-synaptic fraction.
In recent years the importance of fractional study of synaptosomes has increased, as reflected by the exponential increase in published articles using the PSD fraction, compared with crude synaptosomes (Figure 1). Protocols for producing PSDs exist, but they require a high level of expertise, the use of expensive equipment, such as an ultracentrifuge, and at least 100-200 mg of tissue (Bermejo et al., 2014; Villasana et al., 2006). Our technology, is a kit that delivers high yield of PSD or the pre-synaptic fraction (Figure 2), is a fast, cost-effective method that requires much less neuronal tissue and dismisses the need for special expertise and equipment.

 

 

Advantages

  • No professional experience needed
  • Fast and easy
  • Minimized amount of brain tissue required (20-30 mg vs. 100-200 mg in currently available protocols)
  • Clean production, with no contamination between synaptic fractions
  • No need for an ultracentrifuge
  • Delivery in Room temperature

 

  

Patent Status

Provisional application was filed on March 18th 2021 under the application number 63/162,519

 

 

Partnering

Licensing out to a company that develops or sells research use diagnostic kits

 

 

Principal Investigator

 Dr. Shira Knafo, NIBN and the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel