IDBR: High-Throughput Instrumentation for Lipid Bilayers and Patch-clamp

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Award Abstract:Proposal Number: 1063347 Proposal Title: IDBR: High throughput instrumentation for lipid bilayers and single-channel patch-clamp This award supports a project that will develop integrated micro-chip instrumentation used for recording the minute currents across biological cell membranes. The goal is an improvement of the sensitivity and the throughput of electrophysiology instruments for the study of membrane proteins, including functional analysis of ion channels and DNA identification using special channels with nano-scale pores. This project will also advance the sensitivity of patch-clamp recording systems and will allow inspection of the opening and closing of individual ion-channels whose conductance has previously been too low to examine. The proposed instrument will increase the number of recording channels by several hundred times. The research will advance the design of ultra-low noise instruments that maintain a small footprint and can be manufactured with standard and cheap microchip technologies. We will design, instrument and test integrated circuitry to increase the density of recording sites and miniaturize the recording equipment. Current measurements are used throughout biomedical instruments and thus the work proposed here will have large applicability in medicine and engineering. The amplifier we will develop can be used in instruments for cellular biology and physiology, DNA sequencing with nanopores, low-power circuit for cellular interfaces, nano-sensors and biomedical nano- devices, low-noise acquisition of bio-signals. The societal impacts of the technology and ion-channel research are in the prevention of diseases, and in many other scientific fields that rely on cheap recording of genetic material, such as forensics, biology, anthropology. Low-cost high-throughput electrophysiology devices also improve drug development and delivery, both for disease prevention, gene therapy, as well as for personalized medicine. The principal investigators are involved in the Science Saturdays program for under-represented minority and women students. Within this acclaimed 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 investigators excite students interest with presentations in local schools, participation to the New Haven Science Fair, organizing laboratory tours and weekend science projects.