The recently introduced the bio-inspired scanning ion conductance microscope (bio-SICM) allows for simultaneous surface imaging and specific molecule concentration mapping. A membrane protein, that acts as an ion channel, is inserted into a lipid bilayer at the end of a glass pipette. An ion current flows between electrodes placed either side of the nanopore ion channel; one inside the pipette and one in the bathing solution.<br/> <br/>This technique can be applied to various biological systems, in which target molecules bind to the protein, thus blocking the ion channel. Different protein channels can be incorporated into the lipid bilayer, which will respond to specific molecules of interest, including previously unattainable target molecules, with single molecule sensitivity. Incorporating new protein channels into a lipid bilayer membrane, combined with the spatial mapping capability of the bio-SICM, means that ultimately this technique can be applied to study the cellular environment, to understand communication at the single cell level.

Membrane protein ion channels as specific molecule sensors

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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