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 Features Presents the latest information on the molecular mechanisms of ion permeation through membrane ion channels Uses schematic diagrams to illustrate important concepts in biophysics Written by leading researchers in the area of ion channel investigations

Inhalt
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.- PoissonNernstPlanck Theory of Ion Permeation Through Biological Channels.- A MesoscopicMicroscopic 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.