ioMicroglia Male

Male human iPSC donor-derived microglia

ioMicroglia (io1021) are male donor-derived human microglial cells, deterministically programmed using opti-ox technology. ioMicroglia demonstrate key functionalities by day 4 post-revival, and are highly pure with >90% of cells expressing microglia markers including P2RY12, IBA1, TREM2, CX3CR1, CD11b, CD45, and CD14 at day 10.

ioMicroglia recapitulate classic human microglia functions with lot-to-lot consistency, including cytokine release upon stimulation, phagocytosis, C5a mediated chemotaxis, and enhancing neuronal networks in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons. 

ioMicroglia provide a functional, consistent, rapid, and easy-to-use hiPSC-based model for neurodegenerative disease research and drug development. These cells can be used in conjunction with our genetically matched disease models for Alzheimer's and our female iPSC donor-derived ioMicroglia (io1029) to study the effect of donor and sex-related differences and disease relevant mutations on microglia phenotype, functionality, and drug response. 

Benchtop benefits

Functional

ioMicroglia display key phagocytic and cytokine secretion functions with lot-to-lot consistency.

Quick

Rapidly maturing, ready to use within 4 days post-revival for functional experiments.

Co-culture compatible

Suitable for co-culture with neurons immediately post-thaw.

Cells arrive ready to plate

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia are delivered in a cryopreserved format and are programmed to rapidly mature upon revival in the recommended media. The protocol for the generation of these cells is a three-phase process: Phase 1: Stabilisation for 24 hours, Phase 2: Maturation for a further 9 days, Phase 3: the Maintenance phase. Cells are ready to use from day 4 for phagocytosis and cytokine secretion experiments.

Product specifications

Download product brochure

Starting material

Human iPSC line

Seeding compatibility

6, 12, 24, 96 & 384 well plates

Shipping info

Dry ice

Donor

Caucasian adult male (skin fibroblast),
Age 55-60 years old
Genotype APOE 3/3

Vial size

Small: >1.5 x 10⁶ viable cells, Large: >5 x 10⁶ viable cells, Evaluation pack*: 3 small vials of >1.5 x 10⁶ viable cells

Quality control

Sterility, protein expression (ICC), and functional phagocytosis.

Differentiation method

opti-ox deterministic cell programming

Recommended seeding density

40,000 to 80,000 cells/cm²

User storage

LN2 or -150°C

Format

Cryopreserved cells

Product use

ioCells are for research use only

Applications

Neurodegenerative disease modeling
Drug discovery and development
Neuroinflammation modelling
Phagocytosis assays
Cytokine response assays
Co-culture studies
Transcriptome analysis

* Evaluation packs are intended for first-time users, or for existing users testing a new cell type or derivative. A user can request multiple evaluation packs as long as each one is for a different product, with only one pack allowed per product.

What scientists say about ioMicroglia

Matteo Zanella, PhD

Associate Research Leader | Charles River

"At Charles River we used bit.bio ioMicroglia in several projects. We are very satisfied with their performances, as they efficiently and robustly recapitulate both morphological and functional properties of microglia cells"

Technical data

Ready within days

opti-ox precision deterministically programmed ioMicroglia from a male donor rapidly form a homogenous microglia population

Time-lapse video capturing the rapid and homogeneous microglia phenotype acquisition upon thawing of cryopreserved male donor-derived ioMicroglia. 10 day time course.

Highly characterised and defined

Flow cytometry analysis of male donor-derived ioMicroglia shows key phenotypic marker expression 

Flow cytometry analysis of day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia shows key microglia marker expression of P2RY12, CD14, CD45 and CD11b with a purity of above 95%. 

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia show key microglia marker expression

Immunofluorescent staining of day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia shows homogenous expression of IBA1 and TREM2, and a typical ramified morphology. DAPI counterstain (blue). Image taken at 10x magnification.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia show ramified morphology by day 10

DAY 1

DAY 4

DAY 6

DAY 10

Rapid morphological changes in the cells upon thawing, with key ramified morphology first identified by day 4 and continuing through to day 10. Day 1 to 10 post-thawing; 100x magnification; scale bar; 400 µm.

Whole transcriptome analysis demonstrates high lot-to-lot consistency of male donor-derived ioMicroglia

Bulk RNA sequencing analysis was performed on three independent lots of male donor-derived ioMicroglia at three different time points throughout the reprogramming protocol. Principal component analysis represents the variance in gene expression between the lots and shows the high consistency across each lot at each given time point. Populations of male donor-derived ioMicroglia with equivalent expression profiles can be generated consistently from every vial, allowing confidence in experimental reproducibility.

Whole transcriptome analysis demonstrates that male donor-derived ioMicroglia are highly similar to primary adult, foetal and other iPSC-derived microglia

Principal component analysis of bulk RNA sequencing data from male donor-derived ioMicroglia, integrated with sequencing data from Abud et al. (1) shows that these cells cluster closely to primary foetal and adult microglia data sets derived from this publication. Shapes represent the experiment from which data was obtained and colours represent the cell type.

(1) Abud E, et al., Neuron, 2018; 94(2): 278-293

Phagocytosis and cytokine secretion

High lot-to-lot consistency of E. coli phagocytosis by male donor-derived ioMicroglia 

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia from three independent lots were incubated with 1 µg/0.33 cm² pHrodo RED labelled E. coli particles for 24 hours +/- cytochalasin D control. Images were acquired every 30 mins on the Incucyte looking at red fluorescence and phase contrast. The graph displays the proportion of cells phagocytosing E. coli particles over 24 hours. Three technical replicates were performed per lot. 

View the phagocytosis protocol used to generate this data.

ioMicroglia readily phagocytose by day 4 post-revival

Day 4, 6 and 10 ioMicroglia Male were incubated with 1 µg/0.33 cm² pHrodo RED labelled E. coli particles for 24 hour. Images were acquired every 30 mins on the Incucyte looking at red fluorescence and phase contrast. The graphs display the proportion of cells phagocytosing (left), and the fluorescence intensity per cell displaying degree of phagocytosis (right). Three technical replicates were performed. Seeding density 60,000 cells/cm².

Cells readily phagocytose by day 4 post-revival in a similar response as day 10, providing a experimental window to perform this key assay.

View the phagocytosis protocol used to generate this data.

Phagocytosis of Amyloidβ-42 particles by male donor-derived ioMicroglia 

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were incubated with 500 nM AF488 labelled Amyloidβ-42 (AnaSpec) for 24 hours with images acquired every 30 mins on the Incucyte. The graphs display the proportion of cells phagocytosing (left), and the fluorescence intensity per cell displaying degree of phagocytosis (right). Three technical replicates were performed. Seeding density 60,000 cells/cm². 

View the phagocytosis protocol used to generate this data.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines upon activation with lot-to-lot consistency 

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated with LPS 100 ng/ml and IFNɣ 20 ng/ml for 24 hours or pHrodo RED labelled E. coli particles. Supernatants were harvested and analysed using MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. These cells secrete TNF⍺, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-10 in response to stimuli. Predominantly producing a pro-inflammatory response. This is consistent across two independent lots. Three technical replicates were performed per lot. 

View the cytokine release protocol used to generate this data.

ioMicroglia demonstrate a measurable pro-inflammatory cytokine response by day 3

Day 3, 7, and 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated with LPS (100 ng/ml) and IFNɣ (20 ng/ml) for 24 hours, and supernatants and analysed using the MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. Bars represent 3 technical replicates with standard error of mean. 

A clear response is seen by day 3 post-revival, with the highest secretion levels observed at 10, demonstrating a wide time frame to perform this key assay.

View the cytokine release protocol used to generate this data.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia show a pro-inflammatory cytokine response to Amyloidβ-42 stimulation

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia and female donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated for 24 hours with LPS (100 ng/ml) and IFNɣ (20 ng/ml), or synthetic Amyloidβ-42 oligomers (10 μM, StressMarq). Supernatants were harvested after 24 hours and analysed with using the MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. Secretion levels were normalised to cell count per field of view (FOV) to account for variations in cell density. Seeding density 80,000 cells/cm².

A clear response to Amyloidβ-42 is seen in both cell types, with background specific differences also observed.

View the cytokine release protocol used to generate this data.

C5a-mediated chemotaxis

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia display C5a-mediated chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia were seeded and matured in a plate for 1 week before adding C5a (chemoattractant) and scanning for cell migration. The chemotaxis assay was performed using Clearview plates with the Incucyte Chemotaxis Analysis Software module. A and B, confluency in the insert (top area) decreased over time as the cells migrated towards C5a, via pores in the insert into a reservoir containing C5a, in a dose-dependent manner. Corresponding confluency in the reservoir (bottom area) increased over time. C and D, Maximal migration of cells is observed at 10 nM with a 5-fold increase in cells present in the reservoir at 60 hours. Explore the full dataset.

This data was generated by Eve Corrie and Emma V. Jones from Medicines Discovery Catapult (3).

(3) Eve Corrie, Emma V. Jones, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Block 35, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4ZF. UK.

Co-culture compatible

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia form co-cultures with ioGlutamatergic Neurons 

ioGlutamatergic Neurons (io1001) were cultured to day 10 post-thaw. Male donor-derived ioMicroglia (io1021) cultured to either day 1 or day 10 post-thaw were added directly to day 10 ioGlutamatergic Neurons. The co-cultures were maintained for a further 8 days. Imaging was performed in 30-minute intervals. Representative video showing that these cells form a stable co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons. 

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Key marker expression in male donor-derived ioMicroglia and ioGlutamatergic Neuron co-cultures

MAP2

IBA1

MERGE

Immunofluorescent analysis at day 8 of the co-cultures shows expression of the microglia marker, IBA1 (yellow) and the pan-neuronal marker, MAP2 (red), as expected. Representative images taken at 10x magnification with 100 μm scale bar.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia retain phagocytic function in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

Representative video showing male donor-derived ioMicroglia in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons selectively phagocytosing pHrodo Red labelled Zymosan particles, without any adverse effects on neuron morphology. ioMicroglia start to fluoresce red when they have engulfed material which is initiated by a shift in pH.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

ioMicroglia enhance network activity in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

ioGlutamatergic Neurons expressing Incucyte Neuroburst Orange Lentivirus mono-culture or in co-culture with ioMicroglia Male monitored and quantified using Incucyte Neuronal Activity Analysis software. 
A) Representative calcium traces shown for each culture condition at 15 days post-microglia addition.
B) Bar charts at 15 days post-microglia addition showing network correlation and mean burst duration. Data presented as mean ± SEM, n = 3 – 12 replicates.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

This data was generated by Jasmine Trigg and colleagues at Sartoirus, taken from the application note: "Advanced in vitro Modeling of Human iPSC-derived Neuronal Mono- and Co-cultures with Microglia: Optimization Using Growth Factors and Live-Cell Analysis".

Benchmarking against the HMC3 cell line

Flow cytometry analysis of key microglia markers for ioMicroglia and HMC3 cells

Dot plots of cells expressing key Microglia associated markers P2RY12, CX3CR1, CD11b, CD14 and CD45. HMC3 cells show low expression of these markers. Male and female donor derived ioMicroglia demonstrate high expression, with minimal differences between the two backgrounds. 

HMC3 cells show a blunted cytokine secretion response 

Male and female donor-derived ioMicroglia demonstrate a much higher cytokine secretion response following immunostimulation. Cells were stimulated for 24 hours with LPS (100 ng/ml) and IFNɣ (20 ng/ml). Supernatants were harvested after 24 hours and analysed with using the MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. Seeding density 60,000 cells/cm². Bars represent 3 technical replicates with standard deviation of mean.

Technical data

Phagocytosis of E.coli and Amyloidβ-42 particles

Phagocytosis of E. coli particles by male donor-derived ioMicroglia by day 4 post-revival

Day 4, 6 and 10 ioMicroglia Male were incubated with 1 µg/0.33 cm² pHrodo RED labelled E. coli particles for 24 hours. Images were acquired every 30 mins on the Incucyte^® looking at red fluorescence and phase contrast. The graphs display the proportion of cells phagocytosing (left) the fluorescence intensity per cell displaying degree of phagocytosis (right), data from three independent lots. Three technical replicates were performed per lot. Seeding density 60,000 cells/cm².

Cells readily phagocytose by day 4 post-revival in a similar response as day 10, demonstrating a wide time frame to perform this key assay.

View the phagocytosis protocol used to generate this data.

Phagocytosis of Amyloidβ-42 particles by male donor-derived ioMicroglia 

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were incubated with 500 nM AF488 labelled Amyloidβ-42 (AnaSpec) for 24 hours with images acquired every 30 mins on the Incucyte. The graphs display the proportion of cells phagocytosing (left), and the fluorescence intensity per cell displaying degree of phagocytosis (right). Three technical replicates were performed. Seeding density 60,000 cells/cm². 

View the phagocytosis protocol used to generate this data.

Cytokine secretion following LPS, E. coli, and Amyloidβ-42 stimulation

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines upon activation

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated with LPS 100 ng/ml and IFNɣ 20 ng/ml for 24 hours or pHrodo RED labelled E. coli particles. Supernatants were harvested and analysed using MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. These cells secrete TNF⍺, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-12p70 and IL-10 in response to stimuli. Predominantly producing a pro-inflammatory response. This is consistent across two independent lots. Three technical replicates were performed per lot. 

 

View the cytokine release protocol used to generate this data.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia show a pro-inflammatory cytokine response to LPS and dexamethasone treatment

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated with increasing concentrations of LPS (10, 30, 100 and 300 ng/ml) +/- dexamethasone. Supernatants were harvested at 6 or 24 hours post-stimulation and analysed using the MSD V-plex Proinflammatory Kit. These cells secrete TNF-⍺, IL-6, IL-10, IL-8, IL-1β and IL-12p70 upon treatment with LPS and inhibition is observed when treated with dexamethasone except for IL-10, as expected. These cells predominantly produce a pro-inflammatory response. Bars represent an average of n=3 replicates with standard deviation. This data was generated by Malika Bsibsi, Kimberly Lo, Matteo Zanella, Lieke Geerts, and Stefan Kostense from Charles River Laboratories (2).

(2)  Malika Bsibsi, Kimberly Lo, Matteo Zanella, Lieke Geerts, and Stefan Kostense, Charles River Laboratories, Darwinweg 24, 2333 Leiden, The Netherlands.

Pro-inflammatory cytokine response to Amyloidβ-42 stimulation 

Day 10 male donor-derived ioMicroglia and female donor-derived ioMicroglia were stimulated for 24 hours with LPS (100 ng/ml) and IFNɣ (20 ng/ml), or synthetic Amyloidβ-42 oligomers (10 μM, StressMarq). Supernatants were harvested after 24 hours and analysed with using the MSD V-PLEX Proinflammatory Kit. Secretion levels were normalised to cell count per field of view (FOV) to account for variations in cell density. Seeding density 80,000 cells/cm².

A clear response to Amyloidβ-42 is seen in both cell types, with background specific differences also observed.

View the cytokine release protocol used to generate this data.

C5a-mediated chemotaxis

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia display C5a-mediated chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia were seeded and matured in a plate for 1 week before adding C5a (chemoattractant) and scanning for cell migration. The chemotaxis assay was performed using Clearview plates with the Incucyte® Chemotaxis Analysis Software module. A and B, confluency in the insert (top area) decreased over time as the cells migrated towards C5a, via pores in the insert into a reservoir containing C5a, in a dose-dependent manner. Corresponding confluency in the reservoir (bottom area) increased over time. C and D, Maximal migration of cells is observed at 10 nM with a 5-fold increase in cells present in the reservoir at 60 hours. Explore the full dataset.

This data was generated by Eve Corrie and Emma V. Jones from Medicines Discovery Catapult (3).

(3) Eve Corrie, Emma V. Jones, Medicines Discovery Catapult, Block 35, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, SK10 4ZF. UK.

Neuron and microglia co-cultures with phagocytic functionality

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia form co-cultures with ioGlutamatergic Neurons 

ioGlutamatergic Neurons (io1001) were cultured to day 10 post-thaw. Male donor-derived ioMicroglia (io1021) cultured to either day 1 or day 10 post-thaw were added directly to day 10 ioGlutamatergic Neurons. The co-cultures were maintained for a further 8 days. Imaging was performed in 30-minute intervals. Representative video showing that these cells form a stable co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons. 

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Key marker expression in male donor-derived ioMicroglia and ioGlutamatergic Neuron co-cultures

MAP2

IBA1

MERGE

Immunofluorescent analysis at day 8 of the co-cultures shows expression of the microglia marker, IBA1 (yellow) and the pan-neuronal marker, MAP2 (red), as expected. Representative images taken at 10x magnification with 100 μm scale bar.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Male donor-derived ioMicroglia retain phagocytic function in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

Representative video showing male donor-derived ioMicroglia in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons selectively phagocytosing pHrodo Red labelled Zymosan particles, without any adverse effects on neuron morphology. ioMicroglia start to fluoresce red when they have engulfed material which is initiated by a shift in pH.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Microglia enhance network activity in co-culture with glutamatergic neurons

ioMicroglia enhance network activity in co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

ioGlutamatergic Neurons expressing Incucyte® Neuroburst Orange Lentivirus in mono-culture or in co-culture with ioMicroglia Male monitored and quantified using Incucyte® Neuronal Activity Analysis software. 
A) Representative calcium traces shown for each culture condition at 15 days post-microglia addition.
B) Bar charts at 15 days post-microglia addition showing network correlation and mean burst duration. Data presented as mean ± SEM, n = 3 – 12 replicates.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

This data was generated by Jasmine Trigg and colleagues at Sartoirus, taken from the application note: "Advanced in vitro Modeling of Human iPSC-derived Neuronal Mono- and Co-cultures with Microglia: Optimization Using Growth Factors and Live-Cell Analysis".

Female donor-derived ioMicroglia form co-cultures with  ioGlutamatergic Neurons 

ioGlutamatergic Neurons (io1001) were cultured to day 10 post-thaw. Female donor-derived ioMicroglia (io1029) cultured to either day 1 or day 10 post-thaw were added directly to day 10 ioGlutamatergic Neurons. The co-cultures were maintained for a further 6 days. Representative video showing that female donor-derived ioMicroglia form a stable co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons. Live imaging was performed in 6.5-minute intervals over a time period of 3 hours and 31 minutes using the 3D Cell Explorer 96focus Nanolive Imaging system.

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Live-cell imaging reveals clear visualisation of GFP ioMicroglia when co-cultured with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

ioGlutamatergic Neurons (io1001) were cultured to day 10 post-thaw. GFP ioMicroglia (io1096) were cultured to day 10 post-thaw and were directly added to day 11 ioGlutamatergic Neurons. The co-cultures were maintained for a further 3 days before live-cell imaging with Leica DMi8. Brightfield and fluorescence images were taken and merged, easily demonstrating distribution of GFP ioMicroglia within the co-culture.

 

View the co-culture protocol used to generate this data.

Multi-cellular models

Quad-culture model with ioOligodendrocyte-like cells, ioGlutamatergic Neurons, ioMicroglia and human iPSC-derived astrocytes

Complex multi-cellular models have the potential to provide insights into the role of glial cells in disease mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Immunofluorescent staining of a multi-cellular culture including ioOligodendrocyte-like cells expressing MBP (green), ioGlutamatergic Neurons expressing NF-200 (red) and TUBB3 (red), ioMicroglia expressing IBA1 (yellow), human iPSC-derived astrocytes expressing S100B (yellow) and GFAP (green), and DAPI counterstain (blue). Cultures were analysed on day 14.

Data courtesy of Bsibsi, M. et al., 2024, Charles River Laboratories, presented in a poster at the Society of Neuroscience 2024 meeting.

 

 

mRNA transfection

ioMicroglia are efficiently transfected with mRNA encoding GFP

ioMicroglia Male are efficiently transfected and show sustained long-term expression of mRNA encoding GFP. Cells were imaged throughout the experiment to assess transfection efficiency and evaluate potential cytotoxic effects of the transfection protocol. Day 4 images were captured prior to transfections on the same day.

Download mRNA transfection protocol

Get started with

User Manual

Immunocytochemistry (ICC)

Co-culture with ioGlutamatergic Neurons

Cell detachment for re-seeding experiments

Stimulation for cytokine release

Phagocytosis

mRNA transfection

How to culture ioMicroglia

In this video, our scientist will take you through the step-by-step process of how to thaw, seed and culture ioMicroglia.

Documentation

User Manual

Limited Use License & Statement of Use

Product resources

Application note

Quantifying C5a-mediated chemotaxis in precision reprogrammed hiPSC-derived ioMicroglia

bit.bio | Medicines Discovery Catapult

2024

Download

Application note

Sartorius application note - Advanced in vitro Modeling of Human iPSC-derived Neuronal Mono- and Co-cultures with Microglia

Trigg et al.,
Sartorius
2024

Download

Case study

Improving physiological relevance in neurological disease drug development

Elise Malavasi, PhD
Principal Scientist
Concept Life Sciences

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Brochure

ioMicroglia product family

bit.bio

Download

Poster

Rapid and consistent generation of functional microglia from reprogrammed hiPSCs to study neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation

Raman, et al

bit.bio

2022

View poster

Poster

Generation and characterisation of a panel of human iPSC-derived neurons and microglia carrying early and late onset relevant mutations for Alzheimer’s disease

Smith, et al. 

bit.bio

2024

View poster

Poster

CRISPR knockout screening for drug target identification and validation using CRISPR-Ready ioMicroglia

Schmidt, et al

bit.bio

2024

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Poster

An in vitro toolkit to study the cell-specific roles of glutamatergic neurons and glia in Alzheimer’s disease

Oosterveen et al.

bit.bio

2025

View poster

Poster

An iPSC-derived neuroinflammation/neurotoxicity in vitro model of neurons and glial cells

Bsibsi et al.

Courtesy of Charles River Laboratories

2024

View poster

Poster

Driving experimental reproducibility and lot-to-lot biological consistency in human iPSC-derived cells enabled by opti-ox technology

Newman et al.

bit.bio

2024

View poster

Poster

Harnessing CRISPR-Ready ioCells as functional genomics tools for drug target identification and validation

Grabner et al.

bit.bio

2025

View poster

Poster

iPSC-derived Alzheimer's disease models show increased secretion of pathogenic amyloid beta peptides in glutamatergic neurons and responses to amyloid beta 42 in microglia

Veteleanu et al.

bit.bio

2025

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Poster

A versatile toolbox of human iPSC-derived microglia for disease modelling and multicellular in vitro models for neurodegeneration drug discovery

Yates et al.

bit.bio

2025

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Poster

Optimisation of mRNA delivery to overcome transfection challenges in hiPSC-derived neurons and microglia

Tatar Ozkan et al.

bit.bio

2025

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Publication

Reprogramming the stem cell for a new generation of cures

Davenport A, Frolov T & Kotter M

Drug Discovery World

2020

 

 

Read more

Publication

Circadian clocks in human cerebral organoids

Rzechorzek, et al

bioRxiv

2024

Featuring opti-ox enabled microglia male iPS cell line and opti-ox enabled glutamatergic neurons iPS cell line

Read more

Talk

Precision Cellular Reprogramming for Scalable and Consistent Human Neurodegenerative Disease Models

Madeleine Garrett | Field Application Specialist | bit.bio

Watch now

Talk

Comparing human iPSC-derived ioMicroglia to immortalised HMC3 cell line: A case study

Euan Yates | Scientist | bit.bio

 

Human Cell Forum 2025
Session 2 | bit.bio insider: Tools, tips, and what’s coming next

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User manual

ioMicroglia | User manual

V9

bit.bio

2025

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Video tutorial

How to culture ioMicroglia

Prachi Bhagwatwar​​​​ | ​Research Assistant | bit.bio

Watch now

Webinar

Modelling human neurodegenerative diseases in research & drug discovery

Dr Mariangela Iovino | Group Leader | Charles River

Dr Tony Oosterveen | Senior Scientist | bit.bio

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Webinar

Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis: Emerging Role of Microglia

Dr Matthias Pawlowski | Head, Dementia-Sensitive Hospital | University of Münster

Dr Malathi Raman | Senior Product Manager | bit.bio

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Webinar

Rethinking Developmental Biology With Cellular Reprogramming

Mark Kotter | CEO and founder | bit.bio

Marius Wernig | Professor Departments of Pathology and Chemical and Systems Biology |  Stanford University

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Webinar

Mastering Cell Identity In A Dish: The Power Of Cellular Reprogramming

Prof Roger Pedersen | Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University 

Dr Thomas Moreau | Director of Cell Biology Research | bit.bio

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Webinar

Sex differences in neurological research

Antonella Santuccione Chadha, MD | Founder and CEO | Women’s Brain Foundation

Melanie Einsiedler, PhD | Scientific Contributor | Women’s Brain Foundation

Rebecca Northeast, PhD | Senior Product Manager | bit.bio

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Protocol

mRNA transfection of ioMicroglia

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Protocol

Phagocytosis assessment of ioMicroglia

Download protocol

Protocol

Stimulation for cytokine secretion in ioMicroglia

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Protocol

Cell detachment protocol for ioMicroglia

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Protocol

Cell counting protocol for ioCells

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Protocol

Co-culturing ioMicroglia and ioGlutamatergic Neurons

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Protocol

Immunocytochemistry staining for ioMicroglia

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Beyond neurons - microglia cells and their role in neurodegeneration and neurodevelopment

An interview with a leading researcher and microglia expert Dr Anthony Vernon at King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, to demystify the complex roles of microglia in our brand new blog.

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Expand your research

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Model diversity with ioMicroglia Female

De-risk compound screening with microglia from diverse backgrounds

Expand your research

Model diversity with ioMicroglia Female

De-risk compound screening with microglia from diverse backgrounds

Women are greatly underrepresented in drug development and clinical trials. 
Introducing female-derived cells into the early stage of research and drug discovery can help to better address this disparity.

Key applications for Female ioMicroglia in neurodegeneration drug discovery
- Neuroinflammatory in vitro modelling
- Target ID and validation
- Compound screening 

Discover the data

Build disease-relevant in vitro models

Model neurodegenerative disease with microglia-neuron co-cultures

Expand your research

Build disease-relevant in vitro models

Model neurodegenerative disease with microglia-neuron co-cultures

Access 20 neuronal disease models and 4 microglia disease models with a single co-culture protocol.

View the co-culture protocol 

Explore ioGlutamatergic Neuron Disease Models 
Explore ioMicroglia Disease Models

Light up your co-cultures

Track GFP ioMicroglia in complex multi-cell cultures

Expand your research

Light up your co-cultures

Track GFP ioMicroglia in complex multi-cell cultures

Human iPSC-derived microglia engineered to constitutively express GFP enable easy visualisation, tracking and isolation of cells in complex multi-cell cultures.

Discover the data

Simplify gene knockouts and CRISPR screens

Have you considered CRISPRko-Ready ioMicroglia?

Expand your research

Simplify gene knockouts and CRISPR screens

Have you considered CRISPRko-Ready ioMicroglia?

Built from our ioMicroglia Male and engineered to constitutively express Cas9. 
With optimised guide RNA delivery protocols and high knockout efficiency, start measuring readouts from gene knockouts and CRISPR screens within days.
Save months of work by skipping complex cell line engineering and cell differentiation workflows.

Discover the data on CRISPRko-Ready ioMicroglia

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ioGlutamatergic Neurons cat no | io1001

ioWild Type Cells

ioGABAergic Neurons cat no | io1003

ioDisease Model Cells

ioMotor Neurons TDP-43 M337V/M337V cat no | io1046

ioCells catalogue

Human iPSC-derived cells

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Consistent. Defined. Scalable.

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