title: Detection of single ion channel activity with carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Many processes in life are based on ion currents and membrane voltages controlled by a sophisticated and diverse family of membrane proteins (ion channels), which are comparable in size to the most advanced nanoelectronic components currently under development. Here we demonstrate an electrical assay of individual ion channel activity by measuring the dynamic opening and closing of the ion channel nanopores using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Two canonical dynamic ion channels (gramicidin A (gA) and alamethicin) and one static biological nanopore (α-hemolysin (α-HL)) were successfully incorporated into supported lipid bilayers (SLBs, an artificial cell membrane), which in turn were interfaced to the carbon nanotubes through a variety of polymer-cushion surface functionalization schemes. The ion channel current directly charges the quantum capacitance of a single nanotube in a network of purified semiconducting nanotubes. This work forms the foundation for a scalable, massively parallel architecture of 1d nanoelectronic devices interrogating electrophysiology at the single ion channel level.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Yung Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Tae-Sun
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Dheeraj
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Burke
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D036103:Nanotechnology; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011108:Polymers; D014173:Transistors, Electronic
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011108:Polymers