Investigation of in the surface immobilized phospholipids membranes and interaction with pore forming toxins and peptides, biochemistry and action of proteins.
Model membrane systems have historically been essential to the development of our understanding of biological membranes. Tethered bilayer membranes (tBLM) on gold substrates are biomimetic systems that provide a phospholipid bilayer matrix for incorporation of membrane proteins on conductive solid support. Pore-forming toxins, as the name suggests, disrupt the selective influx and efflux of ions across the plasma membrane by inserting a transmembrane pore. Ion channels play diverse roles in cells and organelles the transport of specific ions and macromolecules, conduction of signals and some of these are elements of cellular sensors