Probe-Type Artificial Cell Membranes Formed with Nanopore-Modified Gold Needles

Synthetic DNA nanopores are potentially applied as an alternative to conventional biological nanopores used in nanopore sensors. Multiple functions, such as temperature and chemical sensing, can be emerged for DNA nanopores. However, it is challenging to insert nanopores into a lipid bilayer efficiently. Here, we developed a probe-type artificial cell membrane system that the lipid bilayer is formed on a DNA nanopore-modified gold needle electrode. First, we designed a DNA nanopore that can be immobilized on the gold needle. Then, we fabricated the DNA nanopore-modified gold needle electrode. Finally, we formed the lipid bilayer with the needle and evaluated the characteristics of the nanopore by channel current measurements. As a result, the insertion efficiency of the DNA nanopores was improved by immobilizing them onto the electrode. We believe that our probe system will offer practical uses of DNA nanopores as sensors because of the high pore insertion efficiency into the lipid bilayer.