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High Throughput Screening pp 209–223Cite as

Automated Patch Clamping Using the QPatch

Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB,volume 565)

Abstract

Whole-cell voltage clamp electrophysiology using glass patch pipettes (1) is regarded as the gold standard for measurement of compound activity on ion channels. Despite the high quality of the data generated by this method, in its traditional format, patch clamping has limited use in drug screening due to very low throughput. Over the years, developments in microfabrication have driven the development of planar, multi-aperture technologies that are suitable for parallel, automated patch recording techniques. Here we present detailed methods for two common applications of the planar patch technology using one of the commercially available instruments. The results demonstrate (a) the high quality of whole-cell recordings obtainable from cell lines expressing human Nav1.2 or hERG ion channels, (b) the advantages of the methodology for increasing throughput, and (c) examples of how these assays support ion channel drug discovery.

Keywords

  • Automated patch clamp
  • Electrophysiology
  • QPatch
  • Nav1.2
  • hERG
  • Ion channels

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lundbeck Research, Inc., Paramus, NJ, USA

    Kenneth A. Jones & Hong Zhang

  2. Department of Biology, Psychiatry CEDD, Glaxo SmithKline SpA, Verona, Italy

    Nicoletta Garbati & Charles H. Large

Authors
  1. Kenneth A. Jones
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  2. Nicoletta Garbati
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  3. Hong Zhang
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  4. Charles H. Large
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Correspondence to Kenneth A. Jones .

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    © 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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    Jones, K.A., Garbati, N., Zhang, H., Large, C.H. (2009). Automated Patch Clamping Using the QPatch. In: Janzen, W., Bernasconi, P. (eds) High Throughput Screening. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 565. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-258-2_10

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-258-2_10

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