Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Visualizing Diffusional Dynamics of Gold Nanorods on Cell Membrane using Single Nanoparticle Darkfield Microscopy
Published on: March 5, 2021
Membrane potential measurements across a human fat cell using ZnO nanorods
1Department of Science and Technology, Campus Norrköping, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden. Safaa.al-hilli@itn.liu.se
Abstract:
A ZnO nanorod probe was employed to determine the resting membrane potential of a human fat cell. The distribution of protons associated with the cell versus the extracellular distribution is proportional to changes in membrane potential. The membrane potential determines the concentration gradient of the protons with dominant permeability according to the Nernst equation. A ZnO nanorod probe was successfully used to find the resting membrane potential for a human fat cell: 34 +/- 2.6 mV.
