Nanoscale bound bilayers, methods of use and production

A method for obtaining a substantially homogeneous population of nanoscale apolipoprotein bound phospholipid bilayers (NABBs) associated with at least one recombinant membrane protein, said method comprising:

• a) obtaining a cell membrane protein fraction comprising one or more recombinant membrane proteins;
• b) combining a Zebrafish apolipoprotein A-I with said cell membrane protein fraction to obtain a mixture, wherein said mixture is substantially deficient in NABB and comprises one or more phospholipid(s) and one or more detergent(s);
• c) incubating said mixture to form a substantially homogeneous population of a NABB associated with said recombinant membrane protein;
• d) depleting said detergent(s) from said incubated mixture of step (c) to obtain a detergent depleted mixture comprising a substantially homogeneous population of NABB associated with at least one recombinant membrane protein, wherein the depletion step is completed within one hour of obtaining said incubated mixture of step (c);
• and;
• e) purifying said substantially homogeneous population of NABB associated with at least one recombinant membrane protein from said detergent depleted mixture.