Ion channel recordings on an injection-molded polymer chip

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Microfluidics
• Cellular Electrophysiology

Background:

• Patch clamping is a crucial technique for studying ion channel function.
• Existing methods can be expensive and lack high-throughput capabilities.
• Microfluidic devices offer potential for miniaturization and cost reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an injection-molded polymer microfluidic device for patch clamp recordings.
• To assess the feasibility of using low-cost materials for ion channel analysis.
• To enable high-throughput screening of ion channel activity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polymer microfluidic devices using injection molding and dry etching.
• Utilizing cornered apertures for efficient cell capture.
• Performing patch clamp recordings on human embryonic kidney cells expressing Nav1.7 channels.
• Benchmarking against a commercial automated patch clamp system.

Main Results:

• Successful recordings of ion channel activity using the novel microfluidic device.
• Demonstrated agreement with a commercial system for current-voltage relationships and lidocaine sensitivity.
• Identified critical device parameters including capillary length and surface roughness.

Conclusions:

• Injection-molded polymer microfluidic devices provide a cost-effective and high-throughput platform for patch clamp recordings.
• The developed device accurately captures ion channel behavior, including drug sensitivity.
• This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of ion channel research.