title: Miniaturized planar lipid bilayer: increased stability, low electric noise and fast fluid perfusion.
abstract: A microfluidic device was designed allowing the formation of a planar lipid bilayer across a micron-sized aperture in a glass slide sandwiched between two polydimethylsiloxane channel systems. By flushing giant unilamellar vesicles through a 500-microm-wide channel above the hole, we were able to form a planar lipid bilayer across the hole, resulting in a giga-seal. We demonstrate incorporation of biological nanopores into the bilayer. This miniaturized system offers noise recordings comparable to open head-stage noise (under 1 pA RMS at 10 kHz), fast precision perfusion on each side of the membrane and the use of nanoliter analyte volumes. This technique shows a promising potential for automation and parallelization of electrophysiological setups.
authors.affiliation: Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tivadar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mach
authors.forename: Catalin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chimerel
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fertig
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winterhalter
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fütterer
mesh_terms: D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D007477:Ions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D008904:Miniaturization; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010477:Perfusion; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D007477:Ions; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D012828:Silicones; D012997:Solvents; C013830:baysilon