Channelomics

Channelomics is the term for the study of membrane channels, that is; ion channels and porins (the "channelome"). It is therefore a branch of physiology, biophysics and pharmacology. Channelomics particularly includes study of the gene expression, structure and function of ion channels.

Structural studies
Structure and functional studies of membrane channels are closely linked, but perhaps the most famous recent work studying the structure of ion channels is the paper by Doyle et al. 1998, which led to the Nobel Prize for physiology for Prof Roderick MacKinnon.

Functional studies
There are a vast array of studies investigating the function of "membrane channels", these frequently combine patch clamp electrophysiology with pharmacology. The process by which membrane channel function is altered by drugs and biochemicals is termed "channel modulation". Functional channelomic studies also includes study of diseases resulting from their mis-function. Such a disease is termed a channelopathy.

Technologies
In principle, channelomics uses most of technologies of biochemistry or proteomics; however, perhaps the most important technology used almost exclusively for channelomics is the patch clamp branch of electrophysiology.