World first: High throughput ion channel recordings of isolated primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons on Yale University’s Qube 384

Researchers at Yale University have published groundbreaking work. Dr Reza Ghovanloo and colleagues in Prof. Stephen Waxman’s lab have taken highly prized DRG nociceptive neuronal recordings from the very low throughput manual patch clamp technique onto the Qube high-throughput automated patch clamp.

Their methods will revolutionize the quantity and quality of the data obtainable from these pain pathway neurons, providing invaluable insights into the physiology of pain sensation.

The authors sum it up better than we can:

“In this proof-of-concept study, we applied adaptations to an automated high-throughput electrophysiological platform to the study of DRG neurons, which provides a model of neuronal cell types that manifests a high degree of diversity, and is relevant to pain, a global unmet medical need. However, this approach is applicable for the study of other excitable cell types”.

“Our results demonstrate the feasibility of patch clamp analysis of freshly isolated neurons on a high-throughput platform [Qube 384 eds]. This approach allows a blinded, unbiased, simultaneous, high-throughput, and comprehensive VC [voltage clamp] investigation of freshly isolated neurons, immediately after tissue dissociation. Moreover, CC [current clamp] analysis can be carried out following VC study, on the same neuron, in a high-throughput mode. This approach provides a basis for the high-throughput physiological and pharmacological study of a variety of types of channels and receptors within multiple types of freshly isolated neurons”.

Congratulations to Reza Ghovanloo, Sidharth Tyagi, Peng Zhao, Emre Kiziltug, Mark Estacion, Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj and Stephen G. Waxman on this seminal publication.

Read the full paper here

QPatch II secured the best infrastructure for Linköping University’s new academic core facility

Our high-throughput QPatch II automated patch clamp instrument enabled Linköping University to accelerate its research into a new epilepsy drug – and get the green light to build a national core facility for ion channel research.

Linköping University’s Division of Neurobiology immediately saw the full potential of its new QPatch II patch clamp instrument. The team had been accustomed to testing one compound on one ion channel per day using conventional manual equipment in their electrophysiology laboratory. The arrival of the automated QPatch II from Sophion Bioscience changed that at a stroke.

For Linköping University, the focus now is on using the QPatch II to make further progress towards a drug for epilepsy. At the same time, the team has high hopes for their new core facility to attract clinicians, electrophysicists, and pharmacologists from all over Sweden, who want to expand their range of automated patch clamp experiments.

Click to download the full story here

Sophion technology helped Metrion Biosciences meet higher customer demands and growing assay complexity

Metrion Biosciences successfully met the challenge of growing complexity in ion channel research by adopting Sophion Bioscience’s automated QPatch II and Qube 384 patch clamp platforms. The move transformed Metrion’s research output, enabling it to take on more – and larger – projects and grow its customer base.

Together, Metrion and Sophion have forged a close relationship over the years. Sophion’s input on assay optimization, application, and technical instrument support and instrument service has helped Metrion maximize the in-laboratory benefits of automated patch clamping.

Click to download the full story here

Challenging CRAC channel assays recorded on Sophion’s platforms and without any use of seal enhancers

Calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels play prominent roles, among others, in autoimmune diseases, metastatic breast cancer, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, as well as having the potential to prevent transplant rejection. Consequently, molecules that modulate the activity of the CRAC channel current (I_CRAC) are of much interest.

Fluoride is a no-go in assays investigating CRAC channels. To achieve good, high resistance (giga-Ohm) membrane seals, some APC manufacturers rely heavily on seal enhancers like fluoride. Therefore, it has been considered difficult to conduct CRAC channel assays on automated patch clamp systems. With Sophion Bioscience’s platforms, we ensure true gigaseal formation in your experiments without the need for fluoride.

If you would like to learn more about performing CRAC channel assays using Sophion’s QPatch or Qube 384 automated patch clamp systems, read more here

Ion Channel Modulation Symposium 2022 (UK)

After two years of COVID lockdown, we can finally meet in person again, and there’s probably not a better opportunity to do this than at the Sophion Ion Channel Modulation.

This scientific meeting takes place at Clare College in beautiful Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

Read more about the symposium here where you can also see the agenda and register.