IonWorks Barracuda

Electrophysiology

Automated

Conventional

Microelectrode Amplifiers

Single-Cell Electroporator

Axoporator 800A

Data Acquisition
and Analysis

Digidata 1440A

IonWorks Barracuda

Assays Ligand- and Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

Screen Large Directed Libraries Affordably

Assay Development and Screening Modes

Highest Available Throughput

Lowest Available Data Point Cost

Introduction

Ion channels are implicated in many disease states and represent a largely untapped target class. The IonWorks Barracuda system allows the drug discovery researcher to rapidly screen large directed compound libraries using a direct electrophysiological assay. Building upon our experience with the IonWorks Quattro system, the IonWorks Barracuda system features Population Patch Clamp (PPC) recording, the ability to measure both voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, and higher throughput.

IonWorks Barracuda — Designed for Ligand- and Voltage-Gated Ion Channel Assays

The IonWorks Barracuda system has the capability to record both voltage-gated and rapidly desensitizing ligand-gated ion channels. The system utilizes Population Patch Clamp™ (PPC) technology developed by Molecular Devices for the IonWorks Quattro system in 2005. PPC has proven to be an enabling technology which has increased the throughput and reduced the data point cost of ion channel screening by a factor of four and enabled novel assays^1,2 on the IonWorks Quattro. The IonWorks Barracuda system performs assays on both ligand-gated and voltage gated ion channels utilizing an affordable PatchPlate consumable. Each assay well of the PatchPlate consumable features a flow-through design for rapid solution exchange to resolve rapidly desensitizing ligand-gated ion channels. Parallel data acquisition and compound addition allows rapid assay turn around time. The software was designed with two modes of operation; Assay Development and Screening Mode. Assay Development Mode is interactive and allows the user to modify voltage protocols during the course of an experiment allowing for more rapid assay optimization. Screening Mode is designed for the drug discovery screening environment and allows for unattended operation of a single assay or for a series of assays up to 6 hours.

References: ¹ John, V. H., T. J. Dale, et al. (2007). "Novel 384-well population patch clamp electrophysiology assays for Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels." J Biomol Screen 12(1): 50-60. ² Dale, T. J., C. Townsend, et al. (2007). "Population patch clamp electrophysiology: a breakthrough technology for ion channel screening." Mol Biosyst 3(10): 714-22.

IonWorks Barracuda — built for speed

The IonWorks Barracuda features 384 discreet amplifiers and a 384-channel pipettor head allowing the simultaneous recording of all 384-wells of the Patch Plate consumable in a single run. A typical ion channel assay can be completed in as little as 20 minutes resulting in a throughput of up to 10,000 data points in a 10-hour day. IonWorks Barracuda is available in two models. The base system has manual cell- and plate-handling and the fully automated system features automated cell management and plate-handling for unattended operation for up to 6 hours.

Get to Know the IonWorks Barracuda

Take a look at the IonWorks Barracuda system and see the future of ion channel screening! The IonWorks Barracuda system will be in our booth (#801) at the Society for Biomolecular Sciences Meeting April 11-15 in Phoeniz, AZ.