Abstract: There is provided herein a method and apparatus suitable for use in studying cell membrane related activities. Activities of interest include patch-clamp related studies of networks of cells on a solid substrate. Cells are grown, preferably in a patterned manner, on a substrate having microholes therein. Seals between the cells and the microholes are formed. Each microhole is attached to a channel. In many cases only one hole will be attached to a single channel, allowing examination of effects of a stimulus at a number of different points in a network of one or more cell types. This may be interest, for example, to those wishing to study interactions between neurons or neuromuscular junctions.