WHAT WE DO
We combine our capabilities with those of our partners to:
- Use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-derived neurons to study the molecular basis of neurological diseases
- Develop new tools and technology in disease modelling and target engagement that will help to identify potential therapies
- Translate newly developed assays onto an automated high-throughput platform that can be integrated with preclinical drug screens
Multidimensional iPSC-derived models
- 2D models: Neurons (cortical, dopaminergic, motor, sensory), astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia
- 3D models: Forebrain organoids, cerebral organoids, midbrain organoids
Robust disease models
- iPSCs from healthy individuals and from patients with neurological disorders
- Core areas include Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and intellectual disability/autism spectrum disorders
Quality control
- Industry-level standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Established quality control pipeline
- Comprehensive one-on-one and group training offered in-house and sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies
DISCOVER OUR WORKING GROUPS
- iPSC phenotyping and CRISPR editing
- Discovery assays and screens
- Organoids and tissue engineering
- Training and outreach
iPSC phenotyping and CRISPR editing
iPSCs are at the heart of research at the EDDU.
This working group is responsible for characterizing iPSC lines that come through the EDDU to ensure that only high-quality iPSCs are used in our research projects. The group is further expanding their library of iPSC lines by generating gene-edited versions using CRISPR technology.
iPSC phenotyping
- Optimization of growth media and passaging reagents
- Quality control testing including chromosomal integrity, morphological features, pluripotency marker expression, microbiological/viral screening
CRISPR editing
- Genetic knockin or knockout (KO) in control lines
- Correction of disease-associated mutations in patient lines
Antibody Validation and CRISPR KO
- Generation of genetic knockout lines to validate commercial antibodies (ALS Reproducible Antibody Platform [ALS-RAP])- partnership with an antibody validation company YCharOS
Discovery assays and screens
Automation is driving research forward at the EDDU.
With state-of-the-art equipment, this group is working to bring our assays with iPSC-derived cells into screenable 2D and 3D formats.
"In-house" tools for image acquisition and analysis
- Optimization of immunofluorescence-based assays
- Established workflow for data management
- Open-source software developed in house to enhance data analysis
Focus on multiple disease areas:
- Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies
- Neuromuscular diseases
- Neurodevelopmental diseases
- Neuroimmune and Neuroinflammation
Brain Organoids and tissue engineering
3D neuronal Organoids are shaking up our perspective on the human brain.
Taking iPSC-derived neurons beyond two dimensions has allowed this group to establish the EDDU’s organoid program. The team is applying multiple approaches to characterize 3D neuronal organoid models, while also exploring innovative 3D culturing systems.
3D model development
- Multiple tissue types: forebrain, midbrain, cerebral
- Customizable batch numbers (100 to 700) and age (15 days to 100+ days)
Histology and 3D imaging
- Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy
- Parafilm embedding and microtome sections
- Cubic tissue clearing
- Methods for automated 3D imaging on Opera Phenix HCs
Organoid maintenance and quality control
- 15K minibrain capacity in organoid-specific incubators
- Dedicated team oversees day-to-day monitoring of each individual organoid using a Laboratory Information Monitoring System (LIMS)
Single cell phenotyping
- Comprehensive analysis of individual cell types in organoids using our state-of-the-art, automated Attune Acoustic Flow Analyzer
- Workflow for isolation of single cells from organoids for flow analysis or single-cell sequencing analysis
- Informatics pipeline for handling single-cell expression data of specific cell types within organoids
Training and outreach
Train and learn with us at the EDDU.
Our Training and Outreach working group is involved in a variety of activities designed to help researchers learn how to use iPSCs in their projects, and to provide opportunities for them to engage with others in the iPSC field.
“Introduction to iPSCs” hands-on workshops
- Lectures and hands-on training for working with iPSCs
- Trainers from the EDDU and the laboratory of Dr. Carl Ernst
- Sponsorship provided by McGill’s Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) and STEMCELL Technologies
- Next workshop is summer, 2020; more details later in the year
One-on-one hands-on training
- Intensive hands-on instruction offered by our iPSC experts
Open protocols
- Development of openly available protocols for culturing iPSCs and differentiating iPSCs into specific cell types
iPSC Seminar Series
- Bi-monthly seminars by trainees and leading experts in the field
- Sponsorship provided by STEMCELL Technologies
Undergraduate training opportunities
- Opportunities for undergraduate students to work within the EDDU
- Mentored by senior researcher with opportunities for projects from stem cells to developing image analysis software. Contact lenore.beitel [at] mcgill.ca (Dr. Lenore Beitel) for further information on how you can join the team.
Watch for news on upcoming workshops and seminars on our Open Science Events feed.
OPEN SCIENCE TOOLS FOR RESEARCHERS
Blog
Read blog posts from Thomas Durcan, the EDDU’s Associate Director, on his Open Lab Notebook.
Thomas Durcan's Open Lab Notebook | Read the notebook |Meet Tom
Protocols
Read our protocols to learn from our experience. Our protocols are open and freely available for download from Zenodo.
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Culture Reagents
EDDU-001-02
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iPSC Culture
EDDU-002-02
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Motor Neuron Induction and Differentiation
EDDU-003-02
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Dopaminergic or Cortical Neuron Differentiation
EDDU-004-02
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SeqStudio DNA Sequencing
EDDU-005-02
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Production of Recombinant α-Synuclein Monomers and Preformed Fibrils (PFFs)
EDDU-006-02
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Quality Control Characterization of α-Synuclein Preformed Fibrils (PFFs)
EDDU-007-02
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Dopaminergic or Cortical Neural Progenitor Cell Induction
EDDU-008-02
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CRISPR-mediated introduction of single nucleotide changes in iPSCs
EDDU-009-01
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Generation of Knockout Cell Lines Using CRISPR-Cas9 Technology
EDDU-010-02
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High Content Imaging, Analysis and Data Management
EDDU-011-01
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Generation of OPCs and Oligodendrocytes from iPSCs
EDDU-012-01
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Generation of Knockout Cells Using CRISPR and ddPCR Technology
EDDU-013-01
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Sequencing Analysis Guide
EDDU-014-01
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Generation of Forebrain Spheroids
EDDU-015-01
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Synuclein uptake assay in iPSC-derived DA NPCs
EDDU-016-01
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Publications & Posters
Read our publications and the posters we have presented at scientific meetings. Our publications and posters are open and available for download.
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Patient-Derived Stem Cells, Another in vitro Model, or the Missing Link Toward Novel Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders?
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One Step Into the Future: New iPSC Tools to Advance Research in Parkinson's Disease and Neurological Disorders
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Disruption of GRIN2B Impairs Differentiation in Human Neurons
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Open Science Meets Stem Cells: A New Drug Discovery Approach for Neurodegenerative Disorders
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The Neuroprotective Role of Protein Quality Control in Halting the Development of Alpha-Synuclein Pathology
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Standardized quality control workflow for analyzing the quality and differentiation potential of human iPSCs
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Generation of human midbrain organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells
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Using stem cells to study the effects of cannabis on neuronal development
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Implementation of an Antibody characterization pipeline- McPherson lab
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Characterization of the activity-dependent development of IPSC-derived neurons from Fragile X patients
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Quantitative characterization of variability in cortical neurons between healthy human induced pluripotent stem cell lines
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Variability among iPSCs- Building a QC pipeline and how to predict good iPSCs for generating neurons- Till and McCulloch talk 2019
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The Quebec Parkinson Network: A Researcher-Patient Matching Platform and Multimodal Biorepository.
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Characterization of human iPSC-derived astrocytes with potential for disease modeling and drug discovery
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Defining the Neural Kinome
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Stimulation of L‐type calcium channels increases tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine in ventral midbrain cells induced from somatic cells
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Characterization of human-iPSCs derived spinal motor neurons by single-cell RNA sequencing
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Quantitative expansion microscopy
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Software
Use our software to accelerate your data analysis. Our software will be open and freely available for download.
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ORGM
A Fiji macro for measuring organoid area and size
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Facilities
Contact us to find out how our infrastructure can help you with your research.
Flow Cytometry and Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)
Analyze and sort cells in our dedicated flow facility.
Drug Discovery and Screening
Optimize cell-based assays and small molecule screens with our automated high-content screening (HCS) platform.
neuroeddu.mni [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Drug%20Discovery%20and%20Screening%3A%20Website%20enquiry) (Email us)
Materials
neuroeddu.mni [at] mcgill.ca (Contact us) about using our biological materials for your research, including:-
CRISPR knockout cells (non-stem cells only)
Brochure
Cell catalog
CRISPR knockout cells (iPSCs)
Parkinson's KO catalog
SNCA
Parkin
PINK1
Parkin-PINK1
LRRK2
GBA
MAPT -
iPSC catalogue
(C-BIG Repository)
Control lines
AIW-002-02
TD-02 -
Healthy control- and patient-derived mini brains (live or fixed sections) -
Purified human α-synuclein protein
Seminar Series
Contact irina.shlaifer [at] mcgill.ca (Irina Shlaifer) to join the mailing list for the iPSC Seminar Series and to let us know if you are interested in giving a talk.
Next seminars: Thursday September 24th, 4pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ipsc-seminar-september-2020-tickets-11613444...
