Abstract: A method of characterizing an effect of a compound on cardiomyocyte beating, including providing a system configured to culture, electrically pace, and monitor heating of beating cells: culturing two populations of immature cardiomyocytes in the system; adding a compound suspected of having an effect on cardiomyocyte maturation to one of the populations of immature cardiomyocytes; electrically pacing the two populations of immature cardiomyocytes according to a pulse profile that functionally matures immature cardiomyocytes until at least one of the two populations of cardiomyocytes is functionally mature; and Characterizing the compound as further driving maturation if the population with compound addition functionally matures before the other cardiomyocyte population.

Abstract: A system for monitoring cells, which includes a device for monitoring cell-substrate impedance, the device having a plurality of wells on a nonconductive substrate, where each of the plurality of wells has an electrode array fabricated on the substrate for measurement of cell-substrate impedance; an impedance analyzer that measures cell-substrate impedance from the plurality of wells; electronic circuitry with multiple analogue-to-digital conversion channels, where the electronic circuitry electrically connects the electrode arrays to the impedance analyzer such that the electrode arrays are electrically monitored at millisecond time resolution; and a software program that analyzes the measured cell-substrate impedance.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: Methods of inducing functional maturation of immature cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by electrically pacing the immature cardiomyocytes according to a pulse profile that induces maturation until the immature cardiomyocytes mature into functionally adult cardiomyocytes.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: A system for monitoring cells, which includes a device for monitoring cell-substrate impedance, the device having a plurality of wells on a nonconductive substrate, where each of the plurality of wells has an electrode array fabricated on the substrate for measurement of cell-substrate impedance; an impedance analyzer that measures cell-substrate impedance from the plurality of wells; electronic circuitry with multiple analogue-to-digital conversion channels, where the electronic circuitry electrically connects the electrode arrays to the impedance analyzer such that the electrode arrays are electrically monitored at millisecond time resolution; and a software program that analyzes the measured cell-substrate impedance.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a cell beating parameter, which includes adding excitable cells capable of beating to a system for monitoring cell-substrate impedance, the system having an electrode array electrically coupled to an impedance analyzer that measures cell-substrate impedance at millisecond time resolution, and a software program that determines a cell beating parameter from measured cell-substrate impedance; monitoring cell-substrate impedance of the excitable cells; and determining the cell beating parameter from the monitored cell-substrate impedance.

Abstract: A system for monitoring cell-substrate impedance of excitable cells at millisecond time resolution and methods of assessing cell beating by monitoring cell-substrate impedance of beating cells at millisecond time resolution.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for monitoring excitable cells, such as cardiomyocytes, on microelectrode arrays that couple the electro-stimulation of excitable cells to induce or regulate cardiomyocyte beating and the simultaneous measurement of impedance and extracellular recording to assess changes in cardiomyocyte beating, viability, morphology or electrophysical properties in response to a plurality of treatments.

Abstract: A method of assessing cytolysis of cancer cells, the method including: providing a cell substrate impedance monitoring cartridge having a plurality of chambers, each chamber having an electrode array configured for measuring cell-substrate impedance, wherein different chambers are preloaded with different target cells embodied as cancer cells of different lineage, origin or stage; adding effector cells to the plurality chambers for interaction with the target cells, wherein the effector cells are immune cells; monitoring cell-substrate impedance of the plurality of chambers before and after adding the effector cells and optionally deriving an impedance-based parameter from the impedances; and determining effectiveness of effector cell killing of the different target cells by comparing the impedances or impedance-based parameters over time.

Abstract: A system for monitoring cell-substrate impedance of excitable cells at millisecond time resolution and methods of assessing cell beating by monitoring cell-substrate impedance of beating cells at millisecond time resolution.

Abstract: Methods of assessing cytolysis of cancer cells are provided, which include: providing a cell-substrate impedance monitoring device operably connected to an impedance analyzer, adding target cells characterized as cancer cells to a well of the device adding effector cells to the well to form a test well, where the effector cells are immune cells obtained or derived from a same patient as the target cells; monitoring cell-substrate impedance of the test well before and after adding the effector cells and optionally deriving an impedance-based parameter from the impedance; and determining effectiveness of effector cell killing of the target cells by comparing the impedance or impedance-based curves over time.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: Extracellular recording devices with reference electrodes positioned in a cell free zone and methods of conducting extracellular recording. Parallel cell-substrate impedance monitoring and extracellular recording of excitable cells such as excitable cells, cardiomyocytes, and cardiomyocyte precursor cells using devices that switch between extracellular recording and impedance monitoring modes.

Abstract: A method of identifying a therapeutic compound for treating cancer in a human subject, the method including: providing a device that measures cell-substrate impedance; culturing cancer cells in the at least two wells, wherein the cancer cells are obtained from a human subject and have a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathway; adding to a first well a proposed therapeutic compound that affects an RTK pathway and an RTK stimulating factor for the RTK pathway to form a test well, and adding to another well the RTK stimulating factor to form a control well; continuously monitoring cell-substrate impedance of the at least two wells; and determining a difference in impedance or optionally in cell index between the test well and control well; and if significantly different, concluding the proposed therapeutic compound is therapeutically active in the RTK pathway within the cancer cells of the human subject.

Abstract: Methods for identifying compounds that modulate cellular responses stimulated by IgE, which include providing an impedance-based system that monitors cell-substrate impedance of cells on a substrate; introducing cells to the substrate of the system; adding at least one test compound and IgE to the cells, wherein the at least one test compound is suspected of modulating cell responses stimulated by the IgE; adding an antigen to the cells; monitoring the cell-substrate impedance of cells on the substrate; and analyzing the cell-substrate impedance to evaluate whether the at least one test compound alters a cellular response to stimulation with the IgE.

Abstract: Devices, systems and methods for monitoring excitable cells, such as cardiomyocytes, on microelectrode arrays that couple the electro-stimulation of excitable cells to induce or regulate cardiomyocyte beating and the simultaneous measurement of impedance and extracellular recording to assess changes in cardiomyocyte beating, viability, morphology or electrophysical properties in response to a plurality of treatments.

Abstract: Methods of identifying whether a biologically active agent affects an oncogene addicted pathway within a cancer cell, by introducing a biologically active agent suspected of affecting an oncogene addicted pathway to a first well and a negative control to a second well, and introducing a stimulating agent that stimulates the oncogene addicted pathway to both wells; monitoring cell-substrate impedance of the two wells and optionally determining cell indices from impedance values; generating an impedance based curve for each of the two wells from the impedance values or from the cell indices; comparing the impedance-based curves to determine a degree of similarity; and if significantly different concluding the biologically active agent affects the oncogene addicted pathway within the cancer cells.

Abstract: Methods of inducing functional maturation of immature cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by electrically pacing the immature cardiomyocytes according to a pulse profile that induces maturation until the immature cardiomyocytes mature into functionally adult cardiomyocytes.