IDBR: High-Performance Integrated Patch Clamp Amplifiers

该合同支持集成膜片钳仪器的开发，用于以更高的灵敏度和吞吐量记录单个细胞膜的电位。这种仪器将允许测量单个离子通道的打开和关闭，这些离子通道的电导以前太低而无法测量。将开发集成电路以增加记录地点的密度和使记录设备小型化。电路设计将采用蓝宝石上硅技术。这种集成电路技术提供了离子通道电流的低噪声放大和电子元件的高密度集成。集成的膜片钳放大器将提供更好的电气性能，因为减少了电缆和寄生电容，降低了测量灵敏度。这个项目将促进对离子通道的理解，离子通道是活细胞的基本组成部分。使用所提出的仪器，可以表征大约400个离子通道基因产物的功能。这些pi参与了CPEP：康涅狄格为少数族裔和女性学生开设的工程预科项目。在这个项目中，pi与从幼儿园到12年级的孩子和老师一起工作，促进实用的科学项目，培养兴趣、能力和沟通技巧。pi通过在当地学校的演讲、参加纽黑文科学博览会、组织实验室参观和周末科学项目来激发学生的兴趣。

This award supports the development of integrated patch-clamp instrumentation for recording the electrical potential of individual cell membranes with higher sensitivity and throughput. This instrumentation will allow measurements of the opening and closing of individual ion-channels whose conductance has previously been too low to measure. Integrated circuitry will be developed to increase the density of recording sites and miniaturize the recording equipment. The circuit design will feature the silicon-on-sapphire technology. This integrated-circuit technology provides low-noise amplification of ion-channel currents and high-density integration of electronic components. An integrated patch-clamp amplifier will give better electrical performance, due to the reduction of cabling and parasitic capacitances that lower the measurement sensitivity.This project will advance the understanding of ion channels, fundamental components of living cells. Using the proposed instrumentation, it may be possible to characterize the function of the products of the approximately 400 ion channel genes. The PIs are involved in CPEP: the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program for under-represented minority and women students. Within this program, the PIs are working with children and teachers from K to 12, to promote practical science projects and to develop interest, abilities and communication skills. The PIs excite students' interest through presentations in local schools, participation to the New Haven Science Fair, and organizing laboratory tours and weekend science projects.