Equipment
A. Single-molecule and membrane electrophysiology. Six complete set-ups for single-channel electrical
recordings on planar lipid bilayers (BLM) and synthetic nanopores are available in the PI’s laboratory. They are
based on Axon hardware/software and include the following parts:
 Axopatch 200B amplifiers (Axon)
 Digidata 1322A and Digidata 1440A acquisition boards (Axon)
 External 8-pole low-pass Bessel filters Model 900C (Frequency Devices)
 DAT recorders Model DAS-75 Sony (Dagan)
 OptiPlex Desktop Computers (Dell Corporation)
 Anti-vibrational tables (Kinetic Systems)
 In-house fabricated BLM chamber/holders and chamber homogenizing system
 Sweep/Function generators (BK Precision)
 Peristaltic pumps for chamber perfusion Bio-Rad Model EP-1
 pClamp acquisition/analysis software versions 9.0 and 10.0 (Axon)
 Temperature-controllers Model HCC-100A (Dagan) connected to a computer via a Digidata board. The
bilayer chamber lies in a small, stage-mounted customized aluminum block (as a thermal stage) for computercontrolled heating or cooling through Peltier elements.
 In-house fabricated Faraday cages, Racks, Connectors/50  coaxial cables, conductimeters and
osmometers, peristaltic pumps etc.
 Graphic software (Origin 8.5 and updates)
 Other analysis and graphic software programs are available as well (Adobe Package 8.0, Reference
Manager 11 etc.).
 Other computers for data analysis, scanners and printers.
In the last several years, the PI was in close contact with many of the major companies (Axon Instruments,
Dagan Corporation, Warner etc.) to provide feedback for upgrading and/or expanding the single-molecule
electrical instrumentation/software.
B. Patch-clamp instrument for single-molecule electrical measurements on cell membranes. This is
an instrument that probes picoampere-scale currents through a single protein channel located on a cellular
membrane. In addition to the electronic equipment (see above, part A.), this instrument includes the following
parts:
 Olympus IX51 Inverted Research Microscope for Patch-clamp Electrical Recordings
 MP-285 Sutter Micromanipulator on right with ROE and Table Top Controller
 285-RBI Sutter Rotating Base
 P-97Flaming/Brown Sutter Micropipette Puller
 63-551 TMC Anti-vibrational table
 Pressure-Suction System for Patch-clamp Recordings
 In-house Fabricated Large Faraday Cage
C. Miscellaneous.
 A set-up for the BLM chip station with a temperature-controller and continuous external perfusion system
(Nan(i)on Technologies)
 An in-house fabricated set-up for the electroformation of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUV)
 A stereo-zoom microscope for membrane preparations (Leica)
 A Silicon Graphics Machine for Molecular Modeling with access to Molecular Dynamics and Graphic
Software (INSIGHT II etc.)
 Avanti Mini-Extruder and Holder/Heating Block for large unilamellar lipid vesicles (LUVs)
D. Automated, High-throughput MicroPlate Reader with various operation systems for Absorbance,
Fluorescence and Luminescence
 SpectraMax® i3 Multi-Mode Microplate Detection Platform including a 2 year MRC Service Plan & Base
System Includes: Spectral Absorbance, Fluorescence, and Luminescence detection and 4 top read cartridge
positions for user upgradeable detection cartridges; Spectral Fusion(TM) Illumination; SoftMax® Pro Software;
Integrated Shaking & Temperature Control, Power Cable, USB Cable, Compatible with 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 96-, &
384- and/or 1536-well plates. Compatible with SpectraMax® MiniMax® Imaging Cytometer option and/or
SpectraDrop Micro-volume Microplate.
 SpectraMax® Time-Resolved Fluorescence (TRF) Detection Cartridge is built to measure Europium and
Samarium, and is ideal for protein-protein interactions, GPCR and enzyme activity applications. It is compatible
with SpectraMax® PARADIGM® and/or SpectraMax® i3 systems. Specifications: • Top or Bottom Read •
Cartridge Size: 1 Position • Light source: High-Power LED • Plateformat: 6-1536 well Plates • Excitation Filter:
370/80 nm • Emission Filter: EM 1: 616/10 nm, EM 2: 642/10nm
 SpectraMax® Fluorescence Polarization (FP) (fluorescein) Detection Cartridge collects all the necessary
data in a single read of a microplate. It is compatible with SpectraMax® PARADIGM® and/or SpectraMax® i3
systems. The resulting speed and performance are exceptional due to the direct excitation optical path.
Specification: • Top or Bottom Read • Cartridge Size: 1 Position • Light source: High-Power LED • Plateformat:
6-1536 well Platten • Excitation Filter: 485/20 nm • Emission Filter: 535/25 nm (para), 535/25nm (perp)
 SpectraMax® Fluorescence Polarization (FP) (rhodamine) Detection Cartridge collects all the necessary
data in a single read of a microplate. Compatible with SpectraMax® PARADIGM® and/or SpectraMax® i3
systems. The resulting speed and performance are exceptional due to the direct excitation optical path.
Specification: • Top or Bottom Read • Cartridge Size: 1 Position • Light source: High-Power LED • Plateformat:
6-1536 well Platten • Excitation Filter: 535/25 nm • Emission Filter: 595/35 nm (para), 595/35nm (perp)
 Upgrade of SpectraMax MiniMax Imaging Cytometer to capabilities of SpectraMax MiniMax 300 Imaging
Cytometer. It features detection of red fluorescent dyes and label-free segmentation of cells in transmitted light
channel. It includes all optical components, software, and computer. SpectraDrop™ Micro-Volume Starter Kit
Contains: SpectraMax adapter Two 24-well sample slides One 4uL sample cover One 2uL sample cover and
storage case.
E. Molecular biology and protein chemistry.
The PI’s laboratory has a decently equipped molecular biology and protein chemistry unit (650 sq. ft.),
including exclusive use for:
 A Sorvall RC-5C high-speed centrifuge with SS-34 (that holds 50 ml tubes) and SV288 vertical rotors
 A Beckman L8-60M ultracentrifuge with several types of rotors
 A Thermo Electron BIOMATE UV-VIS spectrophotometer
 A Bio-Rad Biologic Duoflow FPLC
 A Bio-Rad Biologic Maximizer Valve System
 A bench top Fischer AccuSpin 3R centrifuge
 A Millipore MILLI-Q Integral 3 water purification system
 Several top-bench Eppendorf microcentrifuges
 A Beckman microfuge
 A Peltier PCR thermocycler (Bio-Rad)
 Several electrophoresis set-ups for proteins/DNA, including high-voltage power supplies
 An electrophoretic blotting apparatus
 A gel-drying system (Bio-Rad, Model 583), including a vacuum pump
 Fotodyne gel imaging system, enabling digitized gel electrophoresis pictures
 Several analytical balances
 Boekel Rocker ll™ Platform Rotator
 Harvard trip balance
 Two water baths
 A microwave oven
 Freezers for –80 (Revco) and –20C (Fischer)
 An Isotemp Chromatography Refrigerator (Fischer)
 An incubator for cultured cell plates
 An Excella E-25 orbital shaker incubator
 Two Isotemp heating plates
 Two block heaters/thermometers
 A Sonic Dismembrator Model 500 (Fischer)
 Two 4C refrigerators
 Vortexes
 UV Lamps
 Gel Illuminator
 Portable Conductivity Meter
 BioBasic pH/Conductance Meter
 Portable digital thermometers
 Multiple complete sets of pipetters (2, 10, 100, 200, 1000 L)
 Portable Pipetter-Aids
 Desiccators
 Timers
 M-110L Microfluidizer® Processor, benchtop and portable and Safeguard Spares for M-110L
 Complete sets of chemistry and biology glassware (e.g., cell homogenizer, volumetric flasks, graduated
cylinders etc.)
 Ion-exchange chromatography columns
The preparatory lab is equipped with a modernly designed molecular biology bench with all utilities, including
access to the Internet through a local Wireless server in the Physics building.