A New Cells‐Compatible Microfluidic Device for Single Channel Recordings

Abstract

We report the fabrication of a microfluidic apparatus and the realization of a sensors based on PEDOT : PSS, a biocompatible semiconductor polymer used in substitution of standard electrodes for electrophysiological studies and for detection of nanopores in membrane. This gives the possibility to study the mechanisms of ions balance and molecular transport though cell membranes. In particular the apparatus is based on two chambers connected through an aperture in a PTFE sheet where lipid bilayer are formed using Montal‐Mueller method, and the pore‐forming proteins activity is detected by polymeric electrodes. This methodology could be applied to examine different membrane proteins for the purpose of biosensing, drug screening and nanopore technologies.

Micro‐ and Nano‐Technologies for Lipid Bilayer‐Based Ion‐Channel Functional Assays

“…Although most BLM studies have utilized Ag/AgCl electrodes for recording ion channel currents, Toccoli et al. reported on the use of PEDOT:PSS in a BLM system as an alternative to Ag/AgCl electrodes . Organic polymer electrodes represent a new type of recording system in which solutions are free from ion contamination that originated from electrodes.…”

A hybrid living/organic electrochemical transistor based on the Physarum polycephalum cell endowed with both sensing and memristive properties

“… 45 , 46 Moreover, this corroborates the idea of using such a device configuration to directly study the cell membrane response to pathologies and/or external agents, 47 such as pore forming toxins. 48 It is important to note that the repeated application of voltages to the PPC, in the range explored here with the gate immersed into the membrane, does not induce any stress or affect the viability of the cell.…”