Natural Channel Protein Inserted in Artificial Membrane

(University of Basel, July 30, 2013)

A research team from the University of Basel inserted a natural channel protein into a completely artificial polymer membrane. The bilayer membrane attached to a gold surface mimics the membranes in cells, but is much more robust. The researchers showed that the inserted channels were able to transport ions and could be precisely regulated in the artificial environment. Supported membrane systems like this hold great promise for applications in sensing, for example for trace analysis, and in drug discovery, to observe the interaction between a drug and it's target protein.