How to make calcium-sensitive microelectrodes.

Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, United Kingdom. rct26@cam.ac.uk

Cold Spring Harbor protocols 2013 Apr

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Ca(2+)-sensitive microelectrodes (CaSMs) directly measure the pCa at their tip, which can be in a small extracellular space or inside a large and robust cell. They do not add to buffering and do not require expensive equipment. But they are time-consuming to make, require a reference electrode in the same location, and tend to create a leak around the point of insertion. In addition, CaSMs only work well with a tip diameter of >1 μm. In this protocol, we describe how to make and use the electrodes and briefly consider possible problems.