Patch clamping is a widely applied electrophysiological technique for the study of ion channels; membrane proteins that regulate the flow of ions across cellular membranes and therefore influence the physiology of all cells. Patch Clamping aims to cover the basic principles and practical applications of this important technique. Starting with a review of the history of patch clamping, the text then goes on to cover the basic principles, platforms, equipment and environmental control, and will also include coverage of preparation types, recording modes and analysis of results. This book will explain the basic principles and practical application of patch clamp electrophysiology Written in a non-technical style to ensure its broad appeal to novice users Takes a practical approach This self-contained guide provides everything a practising patch clamp electrophysiologist needs to know to master this technique, including an overview of membrane biophysics, standard experimental design, data analysis, and technical concerns

This volume describes a range of standard and novel methodological approaches used to probe ion channel function across different modalities. Chapters guide readers through methods and protocols from an introduction to the decades old patch clamp method for the ion channel neophyte to more complex, recent protocol advances, such as optogenetics. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, application details for both the expert and non-expert reader, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Patch Clamp Electrophysiology: Methods and Protocols aims to be a reference guide for current and future ion channel physiologists.

Channels and transporters are multi-functional proteins that mediate substrate transport and signal transmission and simultaneously act as regulators for other proteins and biosensors for environmental materials. Patch clamping is an epoch-making technique that allows researchers to perform real-time measurements of electrogenic channel/transporter functions at the single/multiple molecular level. This book describes not only the conventional patch clamp techniques but also their newly developed variations or applications, such as perforated patch, slice patch, blind patch, in vivo patch, imaging patch, smart patch, and automated patch clamping. These patch clamp techniques are now essential and are extensively used across the life sciences and in related industries. With plain and practical descriptions of patch clamping and how to carry it out, especially for beginners, the book also shows how widely and exquisitely the patch clamp techniques can be applied by expert electrophysiologists. This work serves as a useful guide for young researchers and students in training and laboratory courses as well as for senior researchers who wish to extend their repertoire of techniques.

Patch-Clamp Analysis: Advanced Techniques describes in reproducible detail all applications that involve patch pipet. Beginning with updated basic patch-clamp techniques, the book presents the newest developments, ranging from fast external solution switching and the switching of the pipet solution during recording, to the loose patch, the perforated patch, and the patch cram detection technique. The advanced techniques covered combine molecular biology and imaging to produce the patch pipet with RT-PCR and fluorometric techniques.

Patch Clamp Methods and Protocols surveys the typical patch clamp applications and advises scientists on identifying problems and selecting the best technique in each instance. The experiments described require a basic level of electrophysiological training and aid the researcher in pursuing new areas of electrophysiology and using the patch clamp technique effectively. Patch Clamp Methods and Protocols is divided into three sections that cover the major areas of patch clamp application: Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biophysics. The first section provides examples and step by step instructions on how to use whole-cell and single-channel patch clamp methods for testing drugs in industrial settings. The second section provides a wide selection of patch clamp applications in physiological studies. The last part focuses on the biophysical applications of the patch clamp method using single channel recordings or statistical analysis of whole-cell currents in order to obtain parameters that describe ion channel properties or transmitter release. Individual techniques are explored within the area that they are applied most often. Researchers will find Patch Clamp Methods and Protocols to be an invaluable aid in the design and execution of a wide variety of patch clamp experiments, both on their own and in conjunction with other state-of-the-art methodologies.

Dynamic-clamp is a fascinating electrophysiology technique that consists of merging living neurons with computational models. The dynamic-clamp (also called “conductance injection”) allows experimentalists and theoreticians to challenge neurons (or any other type of cell) with complex conductance stimuli generated by a computer. The technique can be implemented from neural simulation environments and a variety of custom-made or commercial systems. The real-time interaction between the computer and cell also enables the design of recording paradigms with unprecedented accuracy via a computational model of the electrode. Dynamic-Clamp: From Principles to Applications contains contributions from leading researchers in the field, who investigate these paradigms at the cellular or network level, in vivo and in vitro, and in different brain regions and cardiac cells. Topics discussed include the addition of artificially-generated synaptic activity to neurons; adding, amplifying or neutralizing voltage-dependent conductances; creating hybrid networks with real and artificial cells; attaching simulated dendritic tree structures to the living cell; and connecting different neurons. This book will be of interest to experimental biophysicists, neurophysiologists, and cardiac physiologists, as well as theoreticians, engineers, and computational neuroscientists. Graduate and undergraduate students will also find up-to-date coverage of physiological problems and how they are investigated.

Edited by the 1991 winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, this Second Edition includes new chapters covering such applications as capacitance measurements; single-cell PCR measurements; whole-cell recording from brain slices in combination with imaging techniques; atomic force microscopy of cells and membranes attached to glass pipettes; and patch clamping.