Bilayer formation
Bilayer formation is part of the Wiki learning path. Bilayer formation is a common preparation step for biological nanopore experiments that place pore proteins into lipid membranes for single-channel recording.
Core concepts
- A stable bilayer separates two electrolyte compartments and supports pore insertion.
- Membrane capacitance, baseline noise, and current jumps help diagnose bilayer quality.
- Protein addition side, concentration, and waiting time affect insertion behavior.
- A single-pore state should be confirmed before quantitative sensing.
Operational checklist
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clean the chamber, aperture, electrodes, and solutions. |
| 2 | Prepare lipid and buffer under documented conditions. |
| 3 | Form the bilayer and confirm low-noise stability. |
| 4 | Add pore protein and wait for a discrete insertion event. |
| 5 | Record open-pore current before adding analyte. |
Typical applications
- Biological nanopore sensing.
- Single-channel electrophysiology teaching.
- Pore engineering validation.
Common pitfalls
- Mistaking membrane rupture or multiple insertions for a stable single pore.
- Skipping blank recordings after bilayer formation.
- Using unstable membranes for quantitative comparisons.