Lipid bilayer arrays: cyclically formed and measured.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Artificial lipid bilayers are crucial for studying ion channels, hosting engineered proteins for sensing, and DNA sequencing.
• Droplet bilayers offer significant potential for automation and array platforms in these applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simplify the formation and electrical measurement of droplet bilayers.
• To develop a high-yield, automatable, and accessible method for creating artificial lipid bilayers.

Main Methods:

• A novel apparatus enabling simultaneous bilayer formation and electrical measurement using only fluid dispensation.
• Testing over a 32-element array with automated cycling and measurement.

Main Results:

• Achieved ~80% yield in simultaneous bilayer formation and measurement on a 32-element array with minimal operator input.
• Successfully formed and measured 96 out of 120 possible bilayers in 80 minutes through array cycling.
• Demonstrated a turn-key, high-yield approach requiring no specialized training.

Conclusions:

• This simplified, low-cost, and automatable method significantly enhances the accessibility of lipid bilayer and ion channel studies.
• The high-throughput capability enables advanced sensing and screening applications using ion channels and pore proteins.