Opportunities for microtechnology in ion channel research

Ion channels are proteins in cell membranes that act as molecular switches and transducers, controlling currents of ions in response to electrical, chemical or mechanical stimuli. The two major problems in ion channel research for which new microdevices are needed are described. The first is the need for better "patch clamp" recordings of ion channel currents in living cells. The second problem is the determination of the structure of ion channels (and other membrane proteins) by electron cryomicroscopy, an alternative to X-ray crystallography. From many images of different views of the protein particles, a 3D reconstruction can be obtained.