NeuroSolutions to trial UK's SliceMaster

It slices, but UK based electrophysiology company Scientifica Ltd's automated SliceMaster system is not dicey, according to neurology research company NeuroSolutions Ltd, which will trial and market the device over six months.

The trialing and marketing of the SliceMaster by both companies is in response to the increasing demand for NeuroSolutions' electrophysiology services, the move towards automation of these services and the continued growth in the outsourcing market for such services.

The Scientifica SliceMaster is a semi-automated system which allows one trained operator to run up to eight assays at one time. The SliceMaster system permits concurrent and independent recordings from up to eight tissue slices, thus improving throughput, statistical design, and reducing tissue use.

NeuroDiscovery chairman Mark Treherne said the system would help the company deliver more high quality electrophysiology data to their clients with a faster turn about.

This is the fifth trial and marketing agreement NeuroSolutions has signed with another company in the past three months, with the company providing neurones to UK-based Stem Cell Sciences plc and developing a neuropathic pain compound with Japan's Sosei co.

This is in addition to a research agreement signed with Gentronix Ltd to accelerate the pre-clinical development of a pain treatment, and a $200,000 revenue raising agreement with an as-yet unnamed pharmaceutical company.

Shares in the company closed steady at 19.5c.