Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers

Bacterial mechanosensitive channels can be used as mechanoelectrical transducers in biomolecular devices. Droplet interface bilayers (DIBs), cell-inspired building blocks to such devices, represent new platforms to incorporate and stimulate mechanosensitive channels. Here, we demonstrate a new micropipette-based method of forming DIBs, allowing the study of mechanosensitive channels under mechanical stimulation.