Many human diseases, such as hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, cancers, osteoporosis, neurological, and psychiatric disorders, are related to or are based on the dysfunction of membrane transporters and ion channels.

These membrane transport proteins are also the targets of many drugs. A thorough understanding of their structure, functioning, and role in diseases is of fundamental importance for advances in basic research and drug development. For several decades, Swiss scientists have been investigating membrane transport proteins at many levels: physiology, pathophysiology, structural biology, cell biology, and pharmacology.

On February 16, 2022, Swiss researchers working on ion channels and membrane transporters came together to establish a community under the umbrella of Life Sciences Switzerland (LS²). The LS² section on Ion Channels and Membrane Transporters is a continuation of two SNSF-funded National Centers of Competence in Research (NCCR) - TransCure and Kidney.CH - both of which were active from 2010 to 2022 and focused entirely or in part on membrane transport proteins. 

This section aims to maintain the multidisciplinary community beyond the NCCRs' lifespan and foster collaboration among its members and with other other LS² sections. It aims to become a reference cluster for Swiss scientists working on the physiology, cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, and pharmacology of ion channels and membrane transporters.