Patch clamp technique has had a profound impact on electrophysiology, playing a crucial role in the characterization of cellular ion channels. Traditionally, the technique was accomplished with a glass pipette positioned by a micromanipulator under a microscope. Even though patch clamp technique has been improved, it is still laborious and requires precise micromanipulation of glass pipettes and skillful handling of the electrical sealing. In addition, the irreversible sealing between cell membranes and pipettes need a new pipette for every new experiment. Because of these requirements, patch clamp techniques have been used less than fluorescence-based or other measurements in proteomics and drug developments where high-throughput measurements are required. An automated patch clamp setup for high-throughput measurements using disposable devices will eliminate the prohibitive time investment of traditional patch clamp, while maintaining its advantages against other measurements.
Project end date: 02/07/06