Using micropatterned surfaces for the study of progressive phenotypes in individual neurons and neuronal networks fills a gap in the currently available techniques and will be important in defining mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders. Our approach can be combined with various other imaging and molecular biology techniques, including the immunocytochemistry or live cell imaging applications, but will also be useful to screen for accumulation of synaptic or perinuclear components in individual neurons and examine cellular kinetics will live-cell imaging, electrophysiology or high-resolution single-molecule tracking (Figure 4C).
