Electrophysiology Core
Director: Horacio Cantiello
Location: Building 149 13th Street, Room 8102, Charlestown
| Core Summary: |
The Electrophysiology Core (EPC) resource provides the MGH scientific and medical communities with a facility to help generate electrophysiological information, including characterization of channel function in various cell models and preparations. The EPC also provides highly skilled personnel for consultation, and training of fellows and laboratory personnel.
The increasing need for electrophysiological data, in particular information on electrical properties of cells, ion channel function, and related molecular physiology and pharmacology, requires dedicated equipment and highly skilled personnel to design, carry on, and analyze manually demanding experimentation, to suit every specific project. The EPC provides services on data acquisition of membrane potential, and patch clamping techniques. Other electrical parameters, and related cell biological features, including the measurement of membrane potential, cell impedance, electrical detection of vesicle fusion events, and single cell fluorescence (i.e. calcium) will also be available upon demand.
With these technologies, the genes that encode ion channels and their associated proteins, such as receptors and related proteins, intimately involved in cell regulation can be efficiently tested and characterized by the EPC. The recent availability of stem cells of various origins, but largely unknown function, also requires determination of electrophysiological properties towards the establishment of cell-dedicated phenotypes.| Personnel/Contact Information: |
Director: Horacio F. Cantiello, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Phone: (617) 726-5640
Fax: (617) 726-5669
Email: cantiello@helix.mgh.harvard.edu
| Facilities and Equipment: |
Location of Core:
The Electrophysiology Core is currently located within Dr. Cantiello´s
Lab premises at the Nephrology Division, MGH (East) in room 8102 of the
CNY Building 149.
Major Equipment:
- Two patch clamp setups, with electronic equipment and fluorescence attachments for single cell fluorescence
- Electrical setup for ion channel reconstitution in lipid bilayers
- Two- electrode voltage clamp setup for oocyte injection and whole cell conductance recordings
- High input impedance voltage amplifier for cell impalements and recording of membrane potentials
| Services: |
1. Technical Services
- Patch-clamping
- Ion channel reconstitution
- Oocyte expression system
- Microelectrode measurement of membrane potential
- Optical measurements of electrical potential properties and intracellular ions
2. Consultation Services
Dr. Horacio Cantiello and the Core personnel will be available for consultation
in the use of the different techniques, and to provide technical advice, on the
suitability of the different techniques to achieve specific goals.
3. Training Services
The EPC director and personnel also provide training of fellow and qualified laboratory personnel who wish to invest the substantial time necessary for learning to use the techniques and equipment proficiently.
4. Development of future capabilities
Atomic force microscopy of ion channels and related proteins
| Fee Schedule/Rates: |
| Service | MGH |
Non-MGH |
Industry |
| Preliminary contact | Free of charge |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
| Hourly Rate | $100 |
$150 |
$150 |
| Consultation | $100/hr |
$150/hr |
$150/hr |
| Getting Started: |
To access the Core, please contact Horacio
Cantiello at (617) 726-5640 or by email at
cantiello@helix.mgh.harvard.edu.
| Links to other outside Academic and Commercially Available Services: |
| Institution | Contact | Website |
| Tufts Center for Neuroscience Research | Kathleen Dunlap (617) 636-4938 |
|
| Oregon Health and Science University | Victor Han hanv@ohsu.edu |
www.ohsu.edu/research/rda/funding/labanalysis.shtml |
