Miniaturized planar lipid bilayer: increased stability, low electric noise and fast fluid perfusion

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2008 Feb;390(3):841-6. doi: 10.1007/s00216-007-1647-7. Epub 2007 Oct 31.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes / chemistry
  • Electrochemistry / methods*
  • Electrophysiology / instrumentation
  • Electrophysiology / methods
  • Equipment Design
  • Ions
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques*
  • Miniaturization
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Perfusion
  • Silicones / chemistry
  • Solvents / chemistry

Substances

  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes
  • Ions
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Liposomes
  • Silicones
  • Solvents
  • baysilon