Start Date

2021

Description

  • Cell membranes are made up of lipid bilayers that protect the cell and its contents.
  • Ion channels are proteins in the lipid bilayer that allow ions to flow in and out of the cell.
  • We can measure changes in electrical current as a function of time when a single ion channel in an artificial bilayer opens and closes.
  • Ion channels open and close randomly with characteristic “dwell times” which are exponentially distributed.
  • One of the main goals is to determine how these exponential time constants (tau) change with temperature and lipid type.

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

Improving Temperature Control for Studying Lipid-Ion Channel Biophysics

  • Cell membranes are made up of lipid bilayers that protect the cell and its contents.
  • Ion channels are proteins in the lipid bilayer that allow ions to flow in and out of the cell.
  • We can measure changes in electrical current as a function of time when a single ion channel in an artificial bilayer opens and closes.
  • Ion channels open and close randomly with characteristic “dwell times” which are exponentially distributed.
  • One of the main goals is to determine how these exponential time constants (tau) change with temperature and lipid type.