Axon length quantification microfluidic culture platform for growth and regeneration study.

To fully understand how external biomolecular environment influences axon growth, a method that can easily quantify the extent of axon growth as well as locally control their biomolecular environment is critically needed. Here, we describe a microfluidic culture platform capable of isolating CNS axons from neuronal somata for localized biomolecular manipulation as well as providing linearly guided axon growths for simple and easy quantification of the axon growth length. The axon isolation and guidance capability combined with the multi-compartment configuration make this platform ideal for investigating and screening drugs or other molecular factors that promote axon growth as well as regeneration.