Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Patch Clamp Technique

Edited by Fatima Shad Kaneez, ISBN 978-953-51-0406-3, Hard cover, 356 pages, Publisher: InTech, Chapters published March 23, 2012 under CC BY 3.0 license
DOI: 10.5772/2086

This book is a stimulating and interesting addition to the collected works on Patch clamp technique. Patch Clamping is an electrophysiological technique, which measures the electric current generated by a living cell, due to the movement of ions through the protein channels present in the cell membrane. The technique was developed by two German scientists, Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann, who received the Nobel Prize in 1991 in Physiology for this innovative work. Patch clamp technique is used for measuring drug effect against a series of diseases and to find out the mechanism of diseases in animals and plants. It is also most useful in finding out the structure function activities of compounds and drugs, and most leading pharmaceutical companies used this technique for their drugs before bringing them for clinical trial. This book deals with the understanding of endogenous mechanisms of cells and their receptors as well as advantages of using this technique. It covers the basic principles and preparation types and also deals with the latest developments in the traditional patch clamp technique. Some chapters in this book take the technique to a next level of modulation and novel approach. This book will be of good value for students of physiology, neuroscience, cell biology and biophysics.