An open-source pipeline for calcium imaging and all-optical physiology in human stem cell-derived neurons

Abstract

High-throughput profiling of neuronal activity at single-cell resolution is essential for advancing our understanding of brain function, enabling large-scale functional screens, and modeling neurological disorders. However, existing approaches are limited by scalability, manual data processing, and variability, thus restricting their ability to detect disease-associated phenotypes. Here, we present a scalable, open-source platform that integrates optogenetic stimulation, calcium imaging, automated data acquisition, and a fully integrated analysis pipeline. By combining spontaneous and evoked activity profiling, the system enables robust quantification of dynamic neuronal responses across hundreds of stem cell-derived human neurons and multiple timepoints, facilitating phenotyping at both cellular and network levels. We validated the platform by recapitulating established activity phenotypes in neurodevelopmental disorders including CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder and SSADH deficiency. In addition, we generated CRISPR-Cas9 knock-in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines stably expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s to model network dysfunction in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Using this system, we further demonstrated functional rescue of the altered neuronal activity observed in the TSC following pharmacological intervention. By linking single-cell dynamics to population-level phenotypes, this framework provides a powerful and broadly applicable tool for disease modeling, mechanistic studies, and therapeutic screening across a range of neurological disorders.