Research Spotlight: Smart Ussing Chamber System at the Elinav Lab, Weizmann Institute of Science

NBT is proud to share a recent installation milestone — a fully operational Smart Ussing chamber system set up at the laboratory of Prof. Eran Elinav at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.

What Is an Ussing Chamber System?

The Ussing chamber is a classic tool in epithelial physiology, originally developed by Hans Ussing in the 1950s to study ion transport across frog skin. Today, modern multi-channel Ussing chamber systems allow researchers to simultaneously measure the electrical properties of live epithelial tissues — including transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), short-circuit current (Isc), and open-circuit voltage — across multiple tissue samples in parallel.

The Smart Ussing Setup

The installed system features a multi-channel recording platform with independent chamber units, allowing the simultaneous measurement of up to 8 tissue samples. The setup includes:

• Multi-channel Ussing chambers with individual electrode pairs
• A Grant temperature-controlled circulating water bath for precise thermal regulation of the perfusion solution
• Dedicated acquisition software for real-time monitoring of all channels
• A complete perfusion and gas delivery system to maintain tissue viability throughout the experiment

Prof. Elinav's Research

Prof. Eran Elinav is a world-leading researcher in the field of microbiome science and personalized medicine, heading the Systems Immunology Department at the Weizmann Institute and a co-director of the Cancer-Microbiome Research Division. His lab investigates the complex interactions between the gut microbiome, the epithelial barrier, and the immune system — research that directly benefits from the precision measurements that Ussing chamber technology provides.

With this setup, the Elinav lab can now directly assess how microbial communities, metabolites, and immune signals impact gut barrier integrity — advancing our understanding of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

NBT in Israel

This installation reflects NBT's ongoing commitment to supporting Israel's leading research institutions with best-in-class life science instrumentation. As a trusted partner to academic and clinical researchers across Israel for over 33 years, NBT provides not only the equipment but also full installation support and ongoing technical assistance.

We look forward to seeing the groundbreaking science that will emerge from the Elinav lab with this new capability.