Implementation of a droplet interface lipid bilayer system for electrical characterization

Lipid bilayers are the fundamental structural framework of cell membranes, providing cells with both protection from the environment and interaction with the surrounding environment. Experimental investigation of lipid bilayers and embedded protein channels often involves the formation of an artificial membrane within an electrical circuit. The focus of this project is to implement and verify the functionality of a lipid bilayer characterization technique known as the droplet interface bilayer (DIB), with emphasis on cost-effective system design. To achieve this, the amplifier and software from the ELEMENTS black lipid membrane (BLM) kit were repurposed to reduce the cost of implementing a lipid characterization system. The ELEMENTS kit is originally designed to perform an experiment known as the Montal-Mueller technique, in which a lipid membrane is formed across an aperture separating two compartments filled with electrolyte solution with electrodes connected to both sides to the circuit. The Montal-Mueller method enables measurement of membrane capacitance of a pure lipid membrane and conductance of membranes doped with channel proteins. The primary objective of this project is to verify the formation and functionality of droplet interface bilayers by measuring their membrane capacitance using instrumentation from the ELEMENTS BLM kit. This study demonstrates the feasibility of adapting existing tools for alternative bilayer formation techniques while maintaining reliable electrical characterization.