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Researcher

Alain Labro

  • Research Expertise  (University of Antwerp):Excitable cells such as cardio myocytes and neurons have the ability to change in a controlled manner their membrane potential eliciting an action potential. Voltage-dependent and -independent ionchannels are the molecular regulators underlying this cellular excitability. My research is specialized in structure-function analysis and pharmacology of ion channels using electrophysiological and optical techniques. This includes the patch-clamp technique in its different settings that can be combined with imaging techniques to do Ca2+ imaging simultaneously or performing voltage-clamp fluorometry. The specialized electrophysiological techniques are complemented with a fully equipped wet-lab for doing standard biochemical and molecular biology work to clone channels, create channels mutants, detect protein levels, co-IP for studying channel complexes, do transient transfection of cells or create stable cell lines.
  • Keywords  (Ghent University):ion channel pharmacology, ion channel biophysics, Electrophysiology
  • Keywords  (University of Antwerp):ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, PHARMACOLOGY, ION CHANNELS, BIOPHYSICS, Biomedical sciences (incl. biochemistry)
  • Disciplines  (Ghent University):Pharmacology not elsewhere classified, Electrophysiology, Cell physiology, Molecular physiology
  • Disciplines  (University of Antwerp):Medical biophysics, Cell physiology, Electrophysiology, In vitro testing, Toxinology
  • Research techniques  (University of Antwerp):Electrophysiological patch clamp technique (voltage/current clamp mode) in cell attached, inside-out, or whole cell (perforated or ruptured patch) mode. Available setups allow to study excitable cells (cardiomyocytes, neurons...) or heterologously expressed ion channels (K+, Na+,....). Setups are equiped with fast-perfusion systems for drug/toxin/compound screening. Combined electrophysiology and fluoresence measurements with a photo-multiplier-tube suited for Ca2+ measurements, voltage-clamp-fluorometry,.... Biochemical and fluorescent (FRET) measurements for studying protein-protein interactions and stoichiometry of protein complexes.
  • Users of research expertise  (University of Antwerp):Researchers interested in studying the function and pharmacology of voltage-dependent and -independent ionchannels or membrane receptors (for example G-protein coupled receptors) that modulate cellular excitability.