Issue 12, 2016

The mechanoelectrical response of droplet interface bilayer membranes

Abstract

Mechanotransduction and interfacial properties in unsupported liquid biomimetic membranes are explored using the droplet-interface bilayer technique. The fluidic monolayer-membrane system afforded by this technique allows for dynamic control over the membrane dimensions and curvature, which under periodic deformations generates capacitive currents (akin to a Kelvin probe), and permits a detailed electrostatic characterization of the boundary layers as well as observation of flexoelectric effects. Both high and low displacement frequency regimes are examined, and the results show that the mechanoelectric signals generated by the membranes may be linked to the membrane electrostatic structure. In addition, we show that periodic membrane bending in a high-frequency regime generates tension sufficient to activate reconstituted mechanosensitive channels.

Graphical abstract: The mechanoelectrical response of droplet interface bilayer membranes

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Nov 2015
Accepted
04 Feb 2016
First published
08 Feb 2016

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 3021-3031

Author version available

The mechanoelectrical response of droplet interface bilayer membranes

E. C. Freeman, J. S. Najem, S. Sukharev, M. K. Philen and D. J. Leo, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 3021 DOI: 10.1039/C5SM02779A

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