Formation of Supported Lipid / Protein Bilayers by Surface Induced Vesicle Fusion

Abstract

For certain applications in biosensor technology it is necessary to coat the sensor surface with a reconstituted lipid / protein membrane. Here a new technique is presented which, in contrast to the Langmuir-Blodgett- technique, allows the self assembly of supported bilayers from the aqueous phase by surface induced vesicle fusion. This paper is focussed on the formation process but gives also a detailed characterization of the physical properties of the resulting susported bilayers, as well as an analysis of the stability of these membranes for various supports.