Student Research: The research centers on glutamate ion channel receptors (GluRs). These receptors mediate synaptic neurotransmission and are indispensable in the brain activity, such as memory and learning. Upon binding to glutamate, the glutamate receptor rapidly changes its conformation and opens its ion channel pore to allow small cations such as sodium ions to flow across the cellular membrane, thus transmitting an electrical signal between neurons. Because the receptor channel opens in the microsecond second time region and desensitizes even in the millisecond (ms) time domain, a rapid kinetic technique must be used that not only has a sufficient time resolution but also is suitable for studying these channel proteins embedded in the membrane. We use a fast exchange solution (i.e., piezo device) technique, which permits glutamate to bind to the receptor with a time constant of ~30 μs. This technique, combined with electrophysiological recordings, serves as a unique functional tool so that we can investigate the mechanism of channel formation, inhibition and regulation within the μs-to-ms time domain