Elena Dragicevic, Nanion Technologies
Patch clamp remains the gold standard for studying ion channel function. However, although the information obtained is information-rich, conventional patch clamp is immensely technically demanding and offers notoriously low throughput. Attempts to automate the technique began in the late 1990’s, with the most successful method being to replace the glass pipette with a planar substrate. Although these methods have done much to improve ease-of-use and increase throughput, the available automated patch clamp (APC) instruments have failed to meet either the throughput and/or quality required for high throughput screening (HTS), until now.
The SyncroPatch 384/768PE (Nanion Technologies) is an automated patch clamp module capable of recording up to 384 cells (1 module) or 768 cells (2 modules) with success rates of >80% for completed experiments. Up to 2 modules can be incorporated into a single pipetting robot, e.g. Biomek FX (Beckman Coulter) and an anticipated throughput of >20,000 data points per 8 hour day (1 module) is expected. The SyncroPatch 384/768PE retains flexibility of experiments with additional add-ons such as temperature control and current clamp. Presented data will include information on CiPA-relevant voltage-gated channels such as NaV1.5, CaV1.2 and hERG expressed in cell lines and stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, as well as ligand-gated ion channel currents mediated by the NMDA receptor and GABAA receptor. In summary, the SyncroPatch 384/768PE as HTS ion channel screening platform provides unmatched information on drug development and safety screening. Reduced cell usage, increased throughput and integration into robotic environments improve cost efficiency and precision, making the complete HTS process user friendly, fast and successful.
