Research line

In-vitro and ex-vivo experimental characterization of cardiac electrophysiology for:

  • multiscale and heterocellular study of physiological and pathophysiological cardiac states
  • characterization of temporal and spatial variability of cardiac electrophysiology in response to autonomic changes and metabolic states
  • identification of structural and molecular determinants of arrhythmic risk in human ventricles

Technologies and targeting sectors

  • Technology 1

Cardiac biomarkers to characterize and predict heart dysfunction in relation to disease or metabolic states.

Targeting sector: Pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies.

  • Technology 2

Experimental tools to predict cardio-toxicity of drug compounds.

Targeting sector: Pharmaceutical companies

  • Technology 3

Discovery of novel cardiac therapies against pathophysiological states and metabolic diseases.

Targeting sector: Pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies.

Singular equipment and techniques

  •  Optical Mapping (MiCAM O5-Ultima CMOS camera, SciMedia, Costa Mesa, CA) for electrophysiological recordings in cells and tissues
  • Vibratome (VT12000s, LEICA) for the preparation of living myocardial tissue slices
  • Mechanical electrostimulation system (C-Stretch and C-Pace M, Ion Optix) for organotypic tissue and cell culture
  • Force transducer (Myotronic Heilderberg) for contractile force measurements
  • Automatic Patch Clamp System (Q-patch Compact, Sophion, Denmark) for high-throughput electrophysiological recordings from ion channels in cells
  • Microelectrode array system (MEA2100-Mini-60 System, Multichannel systems) for electrophysiological recordings in cells and tissues
  • Tissue culture system with mechanical electrostimulation (MyoDish MD-1.2, In Vitro Sys) for biomimetic tissue culture with real time force monitoring