Hertha Sponer College Advanced Methods Course

Hertha Sponer College Advanced Methods Course (Internal Event)

Automated patch-clamp measurements – SyncroPatch: Optogenetic Tool Development

Optogenetics is transforming the field of neuroscience and enabling new possibilities for biomedical treatments through light-mediated manipulation of electrically active cells expressing channelrhodopsins (ChRs). However, biomedical applications require highly robust tools that can deliver faster response and higher photocurrents at lower light intensities. Optimizing ChRs is an extremely challenging process that requires functional characterization of multiple variants. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll be using the Opto-SyncroPatch 384, an automated planar patch clamp supplemented with suitable illumination devices that greatly increases throughput and efficiency in ChR characterization compared to manual patch clamp. You’ll learn how to assess the properties of several ChR variants within a single experiment, which would normally take over a month of manual work. Additionally, we’ll provide a brief overview of the other exciting possibilities that automated high-throughput recording using Opto-SyncroPatch 384 opens up in ChR research. Join us to discover the latest techniques and advancements in optogenetics research and take your understanding of this field to the next level!

Thursday, 06 July 2023, 2 – 5 p.m., DZHK building Robert Koch-Str. 42 a

Supervisor: Thomas Mager, MBExC Application Specialist; Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, UMG & Alexey Alekseev, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, UMG & Fitzwilliam Seibertz, Inst. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, RG Molecular Pharmacology, UMG