Formation of artificial lipid bilayers using droplet dielectrophoresis.
We describe the formation of artificial bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) by the controlled, electrical manipulation of aqueous droplets immersed in a lipid-alkane solution. Droplet movement was generated using dielectrophoresis on planar microelectrodes covered in a thin insulator. Droplets, surrounded by lipid monolayers, were brought into contact and spontaneously formed a BLM. The method produced BLMs suitable for single-channel recording of membrane protein activity and the technique can be extended to create programmable BLM arrays and networks.
Aghdaei
Sara
S
School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Sandison
Mairi E
ME
Zagnoni
Michele
M
Green
Nicolas G
NG
Morgan
Hywel
H
D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers
D008051:Lipid Bilayers