Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv11.1

Title: Stable lipid bilayers based on micro- and nano-fabrication as a platform for recording ion-channel activities.

Authors: Ayumi Hirano-Iwata, Azusa Oshima, Hideki Mozumi, Yasuo Kimura, Michio Niwano

Journal, date & volume: Anal Sci, 2012 , 28, 1049-57

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23149604

Abstract
In this review, we will discuss our recent approaches for the formation of mechanically stable bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) by combining with BLM formation and micro- and nano-fabrication techniques. BLMs were prepared across a microaperture fabricated in silicon (Si) chips or nanoporous alumina films using a minimized amount of organic solvent. Although BLMs spanned over the porous alumina film showed better electrical properties, such as background current noise and current transient, BLMs suspended in a thin Si(3)N(4) septum showed a much superior BLM stability. The BLMs showed tolerance to a high voltage of ±1 V, a membrane lifetime of >40 h, and tolerance to repetitive solution exchanges. Application to a drug screening system has been examined by using the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel as an illustrative example. The potentiality of the present system as a platform of the high-throughput analysis for ion-channel protein is also discussed.