Aurora Biomed’s Ion Channel Readers (ICR) combine the versatility, precision, and sensitivity of atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) with our patented microsampling process and liquid handling technologies, creating a high-throughput screening solution for ion channel researchers that fills gaps, which automated patch-clamp cannot. The ICR 8100 is a more affordable, mid-throughput ion channel screening system that is compact enough for the benchtop while retaining broad utility.

The ICR 8100 can be used to assess both voltage-gated (hERG, BK/SK, Kv1.1, 1.4, 1.5, KCNQ, 2P, etc.) and ligand-gated (KATP, nAChR, etc.) ion channels, as well as ion pumps and transporters (e.g., Na+/K+-ATPase), allowing researchers to accelerate drug development for the treatment and prevention of diseases associated with these key membrane transport proteins.

Current applications include the evaluation of the Cation-Chloride Cotransporter (CCC), a critical component of neuronal chloride homeostasis that is an essential regulator of cell volume and neuronal excitability. Because CCCs are electroneutral, their activity cannot be measured using automated patch-clamp techniques. The ICR 8100 is able to obtain high throughput activity measurements for these and other channels and transporters by measuring the absolute concentrations of cytosolic and extracellular ions, a technique that is independent of, and complimentary to, methods that rely on voltage manipulation.