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Surfing in science
It may not be quite as much fun as catching a wave, but using the German-made SURFE2R (Surface Electrogenic Event Reader) technology to measure tiny movements within the human body can be just as exhilarating and rewarding.
SURFE2R technology allows researchers to investigate cell transporter proteins, which control the movement of nutrients, signalling molecules, and ions into and out of a cell or between the internal compartments of a cell. This traffic flow is extremely important for a cell's proper functioning and, not surprisingly, plays a fundamental role in an organism's well-being. However, the proteins that aid in transport can be very difficult to isolate and measure.
With SURFE2R technology, researchers use prepared membranes isolated from cells to study transporters that are electrogenic in nature; that is, those which control the movement of electric charge. This technology is highly sensitive: it can detect even very weak electric currents.
Unlike the colourful surfboards you'll find on a beach, the SURFE2R instrument comes in an unassuming "bench-top beige"; essentially, it's a metal box with a few dials and buttons on it. At the heart of this equipment, however, lie small sensor chips with gold electrodes that detect changes in electric charge.
In the fall of 2007, SURFE2R technology arrived at the University of Calgary's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology -its first appearance on North American soil.