IDBR: High-Performance Integrated Patch Clamp Amplifiers

该奖项支持开发集成膜片钳仪器，用于以更高的灵敏度和吞吐量记录单个细胞膜的电势。这种仪器将允许测量单个离子通道的开启和关闭，这些离子通道的电导以前太低，无法测量。将开发集成电路，以增加记录地点的密度并使记录设备小型化。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高密度的电子元件集成。由于减少了降低测量灵敏度的电缆和寄生电容，集成的膜片钳放大器将提供更好的电气性能。该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，有可能表征大约400个离子通道基因产物的功能。PIs参与了CPEP：康涅狄格州为代表不足的少数民族和女学生开设的工程预科课程。在这个项目中，PIs正在与从K到12岁的儿童和教师合作，促进实用科学项目，并培养兴趣、能力和沟通技能。PI通过在当地学校演讲、参加纽黑文科学博览会、组织实验室之旅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.