The patch clamp technique revolutionized the study of ion channels and is considered the gold standard of measuring ion channel activity, from the academic laboratory to industrial-scale drug screening. This technique enables the study of ion channels, from single molecules up to the whole-cell ion channel population, and in their native environment. Whilst the study of single protein molecular behavior is the ultimate goal of biophysicists from all fields, this is a routine ability for ion channel specialists. This chapter is aimed at helping the beginner to design patch clamp experiments and to obtain the fundamental micropipette configurations with mammalian cells: cell-attached patch, whole cell, inside-out patch, and outside-out patch.
