Fabrication of and signal recording from lipid membrane sensors

We are developing a new type of biosensor that combines insect receptor proteins with a field effect transistor (FET) as a transducer. Receptor proteins will be immobilized in a horizontal lipid bilayer membrane formed on the FET, and the FET will detect membrane potential changes caused by stimulus-receptor interactions. In the preliminary study reported here, two types of lipid membrane support system were fabricated. Optical microscopy and membrane capacitance measurements confirmed the formation of membranes. The possibility of real membrane potential measurement with this system was confirmed by measuring a simulated membrane potential.