Medium-throughput automated patch clamp with gold-standard data quality for ion channel pharmacology and safety screening.
Patchliner: Automated Patch Clamp
The Patchliner (Nanion Technologies) is a fully automated patch clamp platform combining the experimental flexibility of manual electrophysiology with the efficiency and reproducibility of automation. Built on two decades of proven performance, it records 8 cells simultaneously with high gigaseal success rates and exceptional data fidelity — even with challenging cell types such as human iPSC-derived neurons and cardiomyocytes.
At ChanPharm, the Patchliner is used as a core tool for secondary screening, lead optimization, and detailed mechanistic characterization. Its ability to apply complex multi-step voltage protocols and perform precise microfluidic compound exchange makes it ideal for studies that require more than simple potency ranking.
Key Features
Technical Capabilities
8 simultaneous recordings — voltage-clamp and current-clamp modes on a single run
Temperature control — for heat-activation studies and physiologically relevant conditions
NPC-16 chip format — up to 48 recordings per session
iPSC-compatible — high success rates with stem cell-derived neurons and cardiomyocytes
Applications at ChanPharm
The Patchliner fills the critical gap between high-throughput primary screening (SyncroPatch 384) and the highest-resolution manual patch clamp experiments. It is particularly suited for:
Secondary screening & hit confirmation: Detailed concentration-response studies on validated hits from primary screens, including full IC50 determination and Hill coefficient analysis.
Lead optimization & SAR support: Side-by-side comparison of compound series with precise state-dependent protocols, enabling structure-activity relationship decisions.
Mechanism-of-action studies: Complex multi-step voltage protocols to characterize state dependence, use dependence, recovery from block, and activation/inactivation kinetics.
Cardiac safety (CiPA): hERG recordings and multi-channel cardiac panel assays in full compliance with CiPA guidelines, including use of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes.
Selectivity profiling: Rigorous counter-screening against related channel subtypes to assess off-target liabilities of lead candidates.
Temperature-dependent studies: Investigation of thermosensitive channels (e.g. TRPA1, TRPV1) under physiologically controlled temperature conditions.
Throughput & Workflow
Patchliner vs. Other Platforms
SyncroPatch 384 — primary screening of large compound libraries (hundreds of compounds per day)
Patchliner — secondary screening and mechanistic studies (up to 48 recordings per session, unattended)
Manual Patch Clamp — gold-standard deep characterization and complex protocol experiments
The Patchliner integrates seamlessly into ChanPharm's tiered screening workflow. Compounds identified in high-throughput campaigns are routinely advanced to Patchliner-based confirmation and profiling before entering final validation by manual patch clamp, ensuring data quality at every stage of the drug discovery pipeline.