Functional Ion Channels in Tethered Bilayer Membranes—Implications for Biosensors

The ties that bind. A biosensor based on modulation of single ion-channel activity, with the ability to detect analytes in the micromolar range was devised. Ion channels were interfaced to a gold surface and reconstituted into tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs; see scheme). Using this method we obtained single channel activities from the synthetic ion channel, M2δ, and the Ca2+-activated K+ ion channel.