A visualized patch clamp recording system

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

A visualized patch clamp recording system is needed to extend my current program of research on the central auditory system (NSERC Discovery Grant supported). The equipment will allow us to carry out the investigation of cellular physiology of the auditory midbrain. The visualized patch clamp recording method has the advantage over blind recordings of allowing detailed investigation of ion channels and improved resolution of physiological events underlying signal processing. The visualized patch clamp recording method is especially necessary for studying developing neurons, such as those in the auditory brainstem of young animals. These neurons are too small or fragile to impale using a sharp electrode recording or a blind patch clamp method. Stable recordings will be achieved with a visualized patch clamp recording system. It is then possible to apply various pharmacological agents to investigate specific synaptic receptors and ion channels of auditory neurons, and fluorescent dyes to examine the morphology and location of the neuron being recorded.   I am requesting the grant money to purchase essential equipment, including a microscope, a micromanipulator and an osmometer, for a visualized patch clamp recording system. With this system we will study neuronal mechanisms of information processing, plasticity, development, and dysfunction of auditory neurons at cellular and molecular levels. Development of a visualized patch clamp recording system in my laboratory would be greatly valuable to the auditory field, providing a novel direction for future research and ensuring that our laboratory remains on the cutting edge of auditory neuroscience. The advances in auditory neurophysiology that will be made possible by this equipment grant will be of great benefit to Canadian neuroscience. The grant request is urgent as several graduate students in my group require a visualized patch clamp recording system to ensure high quality recordings and reliable results for the proposed research.