Electrical signaling is a nearly ubiquitous property of cells ranging from bacteria to vertebrate neurons. Cellular regulation in nerve, muscle, endocrine, exocrine, epithelial, and lymphatic cells depends on electrical signaling mediated by ion channels, and many diseases are caused by dysfunction or misregulation of ion channels. Electrophysiological studies were revolutionized by the invention of the patch clamp method by Neher, Sakmann and their colleagues, for which they received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1991. As originally developed, this method allows the recording of electrical signals in single cells or single patches of membrane using microelectrodes. Modern electrophysiology is entirely dependent on the patch voltage clamp method, but it is very slow and places severe restrictions on the number and type of experimental manipulations that can be performed during an experiment. Instruments for automated patch clamp recording have been in development for several years, and now have reached the high level of sophistication, technical capability, and flexibility that are required for cutting-edge research on ion channels. We are requesting a Nanion Patchliner NPC-16 automated patch clamp system, which is capable of routine extracellular and intracellular microfluidic perfusion of multiple single cells simultaneously, recoring from up to 48 cells in automated mode, and recording at elevated temperatures. This instrument substantially extends what can be accomplished using the standard patch clamp technique, greatly speeds the process of data collection and analysis, and greatly reduces reagent costs. This new instrument will enhance the basic research efforts of a group of leading ion channel researchers and will contribute to further understanding of ion channel function in health and disease.
