Ion channel assay methods

1. A method of high throughput characterization of the biological activity of a candidate compound comprising:

placing a population of cells, solvent, voltage sensitive chemical probes and at least one candidate compound into an area of observation in at least one sample well in a multiwell plate;

exposing said population of cells to electric fields produced by one or more pairs of electrodes disposed within said sample well, wherein said electric fields comprise a first pulse series comprising a first plurality of electric pulses and a second pulse series comprising a second plurality of electric pulses with a pause between the first pulse series and the second pulse series, wherein said pause has a duration that is at least as long as twice the time interval between any two pulses in the first pulse series; and

monitoring changes in transmembrane potential of said population of cells in said sample well by monitoring emission from said voltage sensitive chemical probes during at least a portion of said first pulse series and a portion of said second pulse series in a parallel assay high throughput manner.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring comprises optically monitoring.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein optically monitoring comprises detecting fluorescence emission of a FRET based voltage sensor from an area of observation containing said population of cells.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing data gathered from said first pulse series with data gathered from said second pulse series.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the changes in the transmembrane potential are indicative of ion channel recovery from block by said compound.