Ion channels are biological nanotubes that are formed by membrane proteins. Because ion channels regulate all electrical activities in living cells, understanding their mechanisms at a molecular level is a fundamental problem in biology. This book deals with recent breakthroughs in ion-channel research that have been brought about by the combined effort of experimental biophysicists and computational physicists, who together are beginning to unravel the story of these exquisitely designed biomolecules. With chapters by leading experts, the book is aimed at researchers in nanodevices and biosensors, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in biology and the physical sciences.Key FeaturesPresents the latest information on the molecular mechanisms of ion permeation through membrane ion channelsUses schematic diagrams to illustrate important concepts in biophysicsWritten by leading researchers in the area of ion channel investigations

"Ion channels are biological nanotubes that are formed by membrane proteins. Because ion channels regulate all electrical activities in living cells, understanding their mechanisms at a molecular level is a fundamental problem in biology. This book deals with recent breakthroughs in ion-channel research that have been brought about by the combined effort of experimental biophysicists and computational physicists, who together are beginning to unravel the story of these exquisitely designed biomolecules. With chapters by leading experts, the book is aimed at researchers in nanodevices and biosensors, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in biology and the physical sciences. TOC:Historical Overview.- Tutorial on Transmembrane Currents and Ion Channels.- Structural and Functional Properties of Ion Channels.- Atomic Structures of Ion Channels.- Gramicidin Channels.- Potassium Channels.- Voltage-Gated Channels.- ClC Chloride Channels.- Sodium Channels.- Calcium Channels.- Mechano-Sensitive Channels.- Ligand-Gated Channels.- Dynamics of Ion Channels.- Poisson-Nernst-Planck Theory.- Semi-Microscopic Monte Carlo Method.- Brownian Dynamics.- Molecular Dynamics.- Emerging Technologies.- Microchip Technology in Ion Channel Research.- Biosensors.- Signal Processing with Hidden Markov Models."

Ion Channels, from Fantasy to Fact in Fifty Years1.- Specific Channel Types.- Gramicidin Channels: Versatile Tools.- Voltage-Gated Ion Channels.- Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels.- BKCa-Channel Structure and Function.- Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels.- Calcium Channels.- Chloride Transporting CLC Proteins1.- Ligand-Gated Ion Channels: Permeation and Activation1.- Mechanosensitive Channels.- TRP Channels.- Ion Channels in Epithelial Cells.- Theoretical Approaches.- Poisson-Nernst-Planck Theory of Ion Permeation Through Biological Channels.- A Mesoscopic-Microscopic Perspective on Ion Channel Permeation Energetics: The Semi-Microscopic Approach1.- Brownian Dynamics: Simulation for Ion Channel Permeation1.- Molecular Dynamics Simulation Approaches to K Channels.- Emerging Technologies.- Patch-Clamp Technologies for Ion Channel Research.- Gated Ion Channel-Based Biosensor Device.- Signal Processing Based on Hidden Markov Models for Extracting Small Channel Currents.