Biophysical Society 60th Annual Meeting

Exhibitor Presentation Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Room 505 Soft, Sticky, and Viscous: Practical Considerations for Measuring Cell Mechanics with AFM The atomic force microscope (AFM) has found broad use in the investiga- tion of cell mechanics, with numerous studies of cell stiffness and modu- lus dating back over a decade. Because AFM can quantitatively measure the mechanical properties of individual live cells, novel insights to cell function and to cell-substrate interactions have been realized. This is pertinent for cell biology, as it has been demonstrated that the geometri- cal and mechanical properties of the extracellular microenvironment are important in such processes as cancer, cardiovascular disease, muscular dystrophy, and even the control of cell life and death. Indeed, the ability to control and quantify these external geometrical and mechanical pa- rameters now arises as a key issue in the field and AFM seems poised to play a prominent role in building that understanding. The use of AFM in this field presents unique challenges and opportuni- ties. Some of the most important considerations are because many of the AFM techniques used here have largely been borrowed from those first developed for materials science. This is simultaneously a success of interdisciplinary research and an opportunity to further tailor measure- ments to cells and biological materials, which have some fundamentally different characteristics compared to polymers. Most dramatically, cells are far “softer” than polymers, usually at least 100× lower in modulus than even soft rubbers and easily 10,000× lower in modulus than some common plastics. Further, cells are usually quite “sticky,” leading to large adhesion to the AFM tip that can complicate measurements. Finally, cells are often strongly viscoelastic, exhibiting not just elastic deformation de- scribed by the elastic modulus but also a viscous response that depends on the velocity of the deformation- and this mechanical component can sometimes be lost or ignored in certain experimental setups and techniques. In fact, this viscous response may prove just as enlightening to cell mechanics as the elastic response more commonly measured alone until recently. This talk will discuss these important issues that must be considered when AFM techniques are applied to cells and other biological materials. Speaker Sophia Hohlbauch, Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company Exhibitor Presentation Nanion Technologies GmbH 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm, Room 513 Ion Channel Drug Discovery - Beyond the Bottlenecks and Ready for CiPA Nanion Technologies is one of the leading providers of automated patch clamp systems, offering a diverse product portfolio ranging from single channel recordings to HTS-compatible ion channel drug discov- ery. During this workshop, we will show how to push the boundaries of patch clamp-based ion channel high throughput screening projects of various voltage- and ligand gated targets, and how to get ready for CiPA-compliant safety screening going well beyond hERG. Cardiac arrhythmic risk assessment is a hot topic these days calling for new screening strategies. With the CiPA-initiative, the panel of cardiac ion channels to consider have drastically expanded, consequently requiring increased data throughput for early compound safety prediction. The SyncroPatch 384/768PE , an automated patch clamp platform record- ing from up to 768 cells simultaneously, allows the highest data through- put on the market supporting HTS of ion channel active compounds and early safety assessment on cardiac channels. Examples will be shown,

where six different cardiac channels were recorded using one single plate, in one single run. Patchliner , a medium-throughput APC platform, supports automated cur- rent clamp recordings, experiments at physiological temperatures, and a minimal cell usage, making it the ideal partner for safety testing on stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. Additionally, the CardioExcyte 96 , a hybrid system combining impedance-based and EFP recordings from beating cardiomyocyte networks from 96 recording wells in parallel, has proven a versatile tool for safety and toxicity screening applications serving as a powerful tool complementing APC. The SURFE2R technology allows direct and functional measurements electrogenic transporter. Hands-on experiments on the SURFE2R will be shown. Also membrane fragments from Chantest, a Charles River com- pany, will be used. Join our workshop to learn more about new safety screening strategies and how to keep up with the increasing demands on cardiac safety and toxicity screening. Speakers Maria Barthmes, Nanion Technologies GmbH Andrea Brüggemann, Nanion Technologies GmbH Niels Fertig, Nanion Technologies GmbH Markus Rapedius, Nanion Technologies GmbH Putting your best foot forward in your grant proposal is key to securing funding for research. Program officers past and present from the National Science Foundation will walk attendees through the process and provide tips on how to prepare the best possible proposal during this session, sponsored by the Public Affairs Committee. Panelists Gary Pielak, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kamal Shukla, NSF Industry Panel 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm, Room 411 Are you interested in learning about science in industry? Stop by to hear from a panel of experts who work in bio-related industries. The panel will provide guidance on techniques and skill sets that are sought after in industry and discuss ideas on how to incorporate industry relevant techniques in academic research. Panel Chair Anita Niedziela-Majka, Gilead Sciences Inc Speakers to be announced Exhibitor Presentation KinTek Corp 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm, Room 505 Why You Should Fit Kinetic and Equilibrium Binding Data Using KinTek Explorer Software KinTek Explorer software offers the fastest, most dynamic and robust method of fitting kinetic or equilibrium binding data. Based on fast numerical integration of rate equations, data are fit without the often- inaccurate approximations needed to derive equations. Rather than fitting data to extract “observed rates” or Eigenvalues, which must be then interpreted in second step, KinTek Explorer yield rate and equilib- rium constants directly while accounting for both the rate and ampli- tude of observable reactions. By modeling the experiments exactly as NSF Grant Writing Workshop 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Room 403B

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