Ion channels play a major role in neuronal excitability. Diseases, termed channelopathies, are related to inherited or acquired dysfunctions of ion channels: epilepsy, migraine, ataxia and deafness. Roughly 15% of known therapeutic drugs including anaesthetics, analgesics, anti-epileptics and anxiolytics have their primary action on ion channels, making them the second largest target class after G-protein coupled receptors. With the advent of a better understanding of cellular physiology and identification of the molecular components that constitute individual channel types and/or control their activity, rational molecular-based strategies to identify ion channel modulators are now within reach.
We are organizing a summer course to provide promising young investigators with a comprehensive introduction to state-of-the-art techniques in ion channel study, including – but not limited – to genetics, electrophysiology, imaging, as well as structure-function and pathophysiological approaches. This 3-week course is a practical “hands-on” introduction to advanced methods in ion channel recording and analysis and will cover sufficient background such that all participants will be able to establish these techniques in their home laboratories.
Directors & co-directors
- Florian Lesage (CNRS, Sophia Antipolis, France)
- Teresa Giraldez (University of La Laguna, Spain)
- Sven Meuth (University of Münster, Germany)
- Eric Hosy (Bordeaux Neurocampus, France)
