Advancing automated electrophysiology: Single-channel recordings in the cell-attached configuration

Automated patch clamp (APC) platforms are widely used in ion channel research for robust and scalable measurements of macroscopic
currents. While APC excels at measuring ensemble currents, its use has been largely confined to whole-cell and perforated patch modes, providing limited insight into individual channel gating. Single-channel measurements in the cell-attached configuration impose strict noise and stability requirements that have historically restricted their adoption in automated systems.

Recent improvements in APC hardware, including substantially reduced amplifier noise, offer the potential to extend automated electrophysiology to single-channel measurements. In this study, we establish a cell-attached single-channel recording assay on the QPatch
platform and demonstrate its applicability using recombinantly expressed BK channels in HEK293 cells.