Begin by coating T25 flasks with five milliliters of 10 micrograms per milliliter poly-L-ornithine, and incubate them. To isolate the brain from mouse embryos, lift the skin of the euthanized pregnant mouse's lower abdomen with tissue forceps. Using dissection scissors, perform a V-shaped incision from this point to the lower rib cage.
Grab the uterine horns containing the embryos with tissue forceps, and gently remove the embryos from the abdominal cavity. Using spring scissors, create a midline incision at the top of the skull, starting from the back of the neck to the nose. Lift the skull away from the incision site to reveal the brain.
Gently scoop out the brain with tissue forceps and transfer the brain to a 10 centimeter Petri dish containing 15 milliliters of Hanks'balanced salt solution. Under a dissection microscope, carefully remove the brainstem and the meninges on both sides of the brain cortices with a pair of micro forceps.
