Ion Channel Characterization

EBS has developed a very sensitive, glass nanopore membrane (GNM) based apparatus to measure protein pore conductance. GNMs, in particular those made from quartz, have electrical properties that enable the measurement of extremely small currents through protein pores such as ion channels. With a measurement bandwidth of 10 kHz, the noise level is only 0.22 pArms with a planar lipid bilayer spanning the aperture of the GNM. This is comparable to the best noise performance recorded for the patch clamp method, which is considered to be the current state-of-the-art in technology for measuring ion channel conductance. The EBS system, however, is significantly simpler in construction and operation than any patch clamp apparatus capable of making such sensitive measurements. The exceptional sensitivity, smaller footprint, and ease of use of the EBS system will open up new opportunities for researchers studying low conductance ion channels and transporters.