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US 8,772,041 B2Granted
Membrane precursors and membranes formed therefrom
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJacob J. Schmidt, Tae-Joon Jeon, Jason L. Poulos
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Abstract
Disclosed are biomimetic membrane precursors and membranes formed therefrom. Also disclosed are methods of making biomimetic membrane precursors and membranes formed therefrom. Methods of using, including methods of storing and handling biomimetic membrane precursors and membranes formed therefrom, are also disclosed.
Claims19
A device comprising:
- (a) a substrate;
- (b) one or more microfluidic channels;
- and
- (c) a membrane precursor deposited within the one or more microfluidic channel, wherein the membrane precursor comprises one or more lipids and one or more lipid immobilizers,
- wherein the one or more lipid immobilizers is in a solid or hydrogel form that immobilizes the one or more lipids, thereby preventing the formation of a functional bilayer membrane, and wherein the form of the one or more lipid immobilizers can be changed to a liquid form to reverse the immobilization of the one or more lipids, thereby allowing the formation of a functional bilayer membrane.
2 more elements
A method of forming a membrane precursor, comprising:
- (a) providing a device for preparing freestanding membranes, comprising a substrate, one or more microfluidic channels, and a membrane precursor deposited within the one or more microfluidic channels, wherein the membrane precursor comprises one or more lipids and one or more lipid immobilizers, wherein the one or more lipid immobilizers are in a liquid form;
- and
- (b) before the formation of a functional bilayer membrane, adjusting light, temperature, pH, pressure, or a mixture thereof to change the form of the one or more lipid immobilizers to a solid or hydrogel form that immobilizes the one or more lipids, thereby preventing the formation of a functional bilayer membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.