A Micro-fluidic Device of Lipid Bilayer Formation for Membrane Transport Analysis

摘要

This paper describes a method to reconstitute a planar lipid bilayer vertically in a micro-fluidic channel. For the purpose of functional analysis of membrane proteins (e.g., ion channels and transporters), this technique allows a direct observation of the membrane transport of small molecules across the bilayer under a microscope. In this report, we reconstituted a bilayer in a micro-fluidic channel by contacting two aqueous surfaces divided by an organic solution containing lipid molecules. Lipid monolayer formed at the aqueous/organic solvent interface, became a bilayer spontaneously when in contact with another monolayer. We confirmed the formation of bilayer by measuring the membrane electric capacitance and the channel current through peptide ion-channels.