Founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert C. Switzer, NeuroScience Associates (NSA) has earned a reputation for providing high-throughput neurohistology which produces unsurpassed quality of stained sections and accelerated image analysis. These attributes have been attained by utilizing NSA's MultiBrain® Technology which is unique to NSA. This state-of-the-art technology provides the means to broaden the scope of experimental designs for brain research. MultiBrain® Arrays of up to 25 mice or 16 rats can be positioned in a single MultiBrain® Block which allows all of the brains to be freeze-sectioned at uniform thickness and subsequently stained uniformly. This exclusive embedding process also allows for large format brains, including entire human brain hemispheres, to be embedded, sectioned, stained and mounted, fully-intact.

NSA has three complementary divisions. NSALabs® provides the core neurohistology services. The Neurotoxicity Testing Center provides turn-key neurotoxicity screening and certification services, utilizing the expertise of Dr. Switzer in the experimental design and the unsurpassed MultiBrain® histology services of NSALabs®. HistoTools™ provides distinctive specialized tools to complement the services offered by NSALabs® , for customers who prefer to handle the MultiBrain® 'sheets' and perform their own staining.

		The Neurotoxicity Testing Center

NSALabs® provides MultiBrain® and MultiCord® services and offers expertise in executing a wide variety of neurohistologic stains. Clients send brain and/or spinal cord tissue and NSALabs® performs MultiBrain®/MultiCord® embedding and sectioning as well as designated staining. NSA returns finished stained slides and/or free floating MultiBrain®/ MultiCord® sections to the client. NSA has proficiency with traditional staining methods and specializes in the development and application of stains that reveal neuronal degeneration, the plaques and tangles of Alzheimer's disease (including mouse models), and activated microglia. To date, NSALabs® has performed histology services on over 2 million brain and spinal cord sections from more than 30 different species of animals, ranging from neonate brains to fully-intact human brain hemispheres.

The Neurotoxicity Testing Center utilizes modern methods to speed and enhance safe drug development. The Neurotoxicity Testing Center (NTC) provides turn key evaluation services to determine if a compound is safe to structures in the brain. Our clients supply a compound to be tested and we conduct the entire experiment and analysis to determine its neurological safety. Findings of no disintegrative degeneration earn the distinction of being "NTC Certified". Typically, clients of the NTC will get a report detailing any neurotoxic elements of their compound within 3 to 4 months.

HistoTools provides neurohistologists with a single place to shop for quality histology tools. Over the past several decades, the staff of Neuroscience Associates has fine tuned and perfected the histology techniques used to deliver the premium services of NSALabs®. In doing so, we've discovered and developed tools and protocols which, along with MultiBrain® Technology, help to make us an efficient and cost effective laboratory. Having the right tool often defines the success or failure of an operation. Many of our products have specific utility for the handling of MultiBrain®/MultiCord® free-floating sections which are sent to clients who remit their tissues for just embedding and sectioning. We have found and make available some quality “off the shelf" products which make our jobs easier. Additionally, we've designed and sell our own specialized tools to fill the gaps in our need for quality tools and solutions.

return to top