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Patch-Clamp Methods and Protocols pp 93–113Cite as

Planar Patch Clamp for Neuronal Networks—Considerations and Future Perspectives

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1183))

Abstract

The patch-clamp technique is generally accepted as the gold standard for studying ion channel activity allowing investigators to either “clamp” membrane voltage and directly measure transmembrane currents through ion channels, or to passively monitor spontaneously occurring intracellular voltage oscillations. However, this resulting high information content comes at a price. The technique is labor-intensive and requires highly trained personnel and expensive equipment. This seriously limits its application as an interrogation tool for drug development. Patch-clamp chips have been developed in the last decade to overcome the tedious manipulations associated with the use of glass pipettes in conventional patch-clamp experiments. In this chapter, we describe some of the main materials and fabrication protocols that have been developed to date for the production of patch-clamp chips. We also present the concept of a patch-clamp chip array providing high resolution patch-clamp recordings from individual cells at multiple sites in a network of communicating neurons. On this chip, the neurons are aligned with the aperture-probes using chemical patterning. In the discussion we review the potential use of this technology for pharmaceutical assays, neuronal physiology and synaptic plasticity studies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genoa, Italy

    Alessandro Bosca

  2. Department of Translational Biosciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Marzia Martina

  3. Electronics Team, Information and Communication Technologies, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Christophe Py

Authors
  1. Alessandro Bosca
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  2. Marzia Martina
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  3. Christophe Py
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandro Bosca .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Translational Bioscience, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Marzia Martina

  2. Dept of Neuroscience & Brain Technologies, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy

    Stefano Taverna

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Bosca, A., Martina, M., Py, C. (2014). Planar Patch Clamp for Neuronal Networks—Considerations and Future Perspectives. In: Martina, M., Taverna, S. (eds) Patch-Clamp Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1183. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1096-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1096-0_6

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1095-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1096-0

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