Ionic contrast across a lipid membrane for Debye length extension: towards an ultimate bioelectronic transducer

Nat Commun. 2021 Jun 18;12(1):3741. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24122-8.

Abstract

Despite technological advances in biomolecule detections, evaluation of molecular interactions via potentiometric devices under ion-enriched solutions has remained a long-standing problem. To avoid severe performance degradation of bioelectronics by ionic screening effects, we cover probe surfaces of field effect transistors with a single film of the supported lipid bilayer, and realize respectable potentiometric signals from receptor-ligand bindings irrespective of ionic strength of bulky solutions by placing an ion-free water layer underneath the supported lipid bilayer. High-energy X-ray reflectometry together with the circuit analysis and molecular dynamics simulation discovered biochemical findings that effective electrical signals dominantly originated from the sub-nanoscale conformational change of lipids in the course of receptor-ligand bindings. Beyond thorough analysis on the underlying mechanism at the molecular level, the proposed supported lipid bilayer-field effect transistor platform ensures the world-record level of sensitivity in molecular detection with excellent reproducibility regardless of molecular charges and environmental ionic conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Membrane Lipids / metabolism
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Osmolar Concentration
  • Potentiometry / instrumentation*
  • Potentiometry / methods*
  • Transistors, Electronic

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Lipids