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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film
Published on: July 10, 2016
Miniaturized planar lipid bilayer: increased stability, low electric noise and fast fluid perfusion
Tivadar Mach1, Catalin Chimerel, Jürgen Fritz
1Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany.
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.
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