Passive and parallel microfluidic formation of droplet interface bilayers (DIBs) for measurement of leakage of small molecules through artificial phospholipid membranes

摘要: Abstract We present a passive microfluidic system for easy and rapid generation of Droplet Interface Bilayer pairs, each formed with two aqueous nanoliter droplets comprising controlled chemical composition. The allows screening to quantify leakage small molecules through artificial phospholipid bilayers. are generated, diluted stored in-situ on the chip. Our device comprises Meter&Store (M&S) modules – hydrodynamic traps, which enable hard-wired operations ca. 9 nL in volume including splitting, merging derailing side storage wells. Consequently, locked positioned next other form bilayers at point contact between compartments. Additionally, set trap provides possibility situ preparation dilutions sample. demonstrated basic capacity trap-based formation an array 12 (controllably different) lipid less than 5 min. Thanks volumes droplets, is capable monitoring transport across membrane within relatively short interval opening use dyes alleviating difficulty parallel electrophysiological measurements. this functionality prepare on-chip determine their permeation rates bilayer. Finally, we used M&S calcium sensitive ion flux model α-hemolysin (αHL) nanopores.