Chemo-mechanical triggering of membrane potential at single cell level

Rapid changes in cell membrane potential are associated with important physiological phenomena such as the release of neurotransmitters in neurons, and contraction in cardiomyocytes. These membrane potential variations are mediated by the activity and the dynamics of ion channels present on the cell membrane. However, these physiological phenomena can become pathological for instance when there is a mutation in the genes that encode the ion channels, causing the onset of serious diseases. Understanding these physiological and pathological processes is tremendously important and requires studying membrane potential variations as a consequence of the triggered activity of ion channels. Many technologies are available to archive this. In particular, two emerging technologies FluoVolt and FluidFM stand out against their competitors, thanks to their versatility. The research project, main topic of this thesis, aims to combine these two technologies, to deliver to the field of biophysics a new methodology for investigating electrophysiological processes that occur in cells.