Improved membranes for nanopore sensing applications
AssigneeThe Trustees of Wheaton College
InventorsDaniel L. Burden, Lisa M. Burden
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to membranes having enhanced stability and durability, methods of making the same, and uses thereof. Membranes of the disclosure are useful in technologies that depend on a lipid bilayer for success, e.g., nanopore sensing applications. The stability of the membrane is enhanced by attaching a filamentous network to the membrane, such as a network of actin microfilament protein.
Claims60
A nanopore device comprising a membrane spanning an aperture, the membrane comprising a lipid bilayer that is linked to a filamentous network that is external to the membrane.
A method of forming a nanopore device, the method comprising:
- providing a membrane having a thickness and spanning an aperture;
- associating the membrane with at least one pore such that the at least one pore extends through the membrane over the thickness of the membrane, thus forming at least one channel connecting a first side and a second side of the membrane, wherein the pore has a first opening that opens to the first side of the membrane, a second opening that opens to the second side of the membrane, and a depth;
- and
- associating the membrane comprising at least one pore with a filamentous network that links to the first side of the membrane and is external to the membrane, thus forming the nanopore device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.