We study the function and regulation of voltage-dependent ion channels using electric fish as our model organism.
Electric fish generate weak electric fields as communication signals.
These are produced by electric organs, which are evolutionarily and embryonically derived from muscle. Because EOD waveform must be so finely tuned in all these ways, the ionic currents of electrocytes are under exquisite regulatory control. These discharges can be easily recorded in freely behaving animals. Thus, we can essentially study dynamic biophyscial events in excitable membranes from the level of freely behaving animals to the level of the ion channels themselves. A major new emphasis of the laboratory has been the molecular cloning of these ion channels and understanding the regulation of these ion currents on the molecular level.