| Membrane channel proteins are major targets for drug discovery and screening. Recent work has also shown their potential as single molecule sensors. Current methods for screening these channels sacrifice speed for data quality, or vice-versa. Alternatively, free standing artificial bilayers provide a highly controlled environment for ion channel studies. Yet, conventional freestanding membranes platforms housing these proteins can be problematic to form and are extremely fragile. This limits any technology using these membranes for both sensing and pharmaceutical applications. We have developed a number of technologies for membrane formation and stabilization, including freezing membrane precursors, and high throughput automation using inverted phases. The development of bilayer platforms discussed below have demonstrated that the technological limitation of bilayer platforms can be overcome, providing a fully automated membrane platform. The formation and study of lipid bilayers, and the proteins which are housed in these membranes, is no longer limited to highly trained individuals in a research setting. These technologies have the potential to drastically increase the accessibility of bilayer platforms to audiences, from secondary schools to high level pharmaceutical studies and remote biosensing applications. |
