Research Description
Gating, opening, and closing processes, of ion channels are being investigated at multiple levels of biological organizations. At the atomic and molecular levels, the nature of ion conduction gate and its modulation of large-conductance calcium- and voltage-gated (Slo1 BK) potassium channels are studied computationally and experimentally investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and electrophysiological methods in combination with ion channel kinetics simulations. In addition, modulation of TMEM16A calcium-dependent chloride channels is studied. At the cellular and organ level, electrical properties of human, rat and mouse pancreatic beta cells are studied.