Nanostructured separation and analysis devices for biological membranes

Abstract

The present invention provides a nanostructured device comprising a substrate including nanotroughs therein; and a lipid bilayer suspended on or supported in the substrate. A separation method is also provided comprising the steps of supporting or suspending a lipid bilayer on a substrate; wherein the substrate comprises nanostructures and wherein the lipid bilayer comprises at least one membrane associated biomolecule; and applying a driving force to the lipid bilayer to separate the membrane associated biomolecule from the lipid bilayer and to drive the membrane associated biomolecule into the nanostructures.

1. A nanostructured device comprising:
 a substrate including  an upper face or surface and  at least one  elongate  nanotrough therein  extending downwardly into said substrate from said upper face or surface, said at least one elongate nanotrough having continuous or uninterrupted opposing walls along at least a substantial length thereof ; and  
   a separation and analysis platform in the form of  a  singular continuous  lipid bilayer  in part disposed on said upper face or surface and in part  suspended over  or supported in  said at least one  elongate  nanotrough , said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said lipid bilayer .  
 
     
     
       2. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer. 
     
     
       3. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       4. The nanostructured device of  claim 3 , wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       5. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said array at least one nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid.    
     
     
       6. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said array at least one elongate nanotrough  has a gradient property. 
     
     
       7. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel. 
     
     
       8. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises Si. 
     
     
       9. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip. 
     
     
       10. The nanostructured device of  claim 1 , wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip. 
     
     
       11. A nanostructured device comprising:
 a substrate including  a nanostructured matrix with an upper face or surface and  at least one  elongate  nanotrough therein extending downwardly into said substrate from said upper face or surface ; and  
   a separation and analysis platform in the form of  at least one  singular continuous  lipid bilayer  in part disposed on said upper face or surface and in part  supported in  or suspended over  at least one ofsaid at least one  elongate  nanotroughs so as to allow biomolecules to pass from said at least one lipid bilayer into said at least one respective nanotrough,  
   said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said device so that said biomolecules are moveable to effectuate a separation of said biomolecules within said lipid bilayer .  
 
     
     
       12. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer. 
     
     
       13. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       14. The nanostructured device of  claim 13 , wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       15. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said array matrix  has a gradient property. 
     
     
       16. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel. 
     
     
       17. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said substrate comprises Si. 
     
     
       18. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip. 
     
     
       19. The nanostructured device of  claim 11 , wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip. 
     
     
       20. A separation method comprising the steps of:
 (a) supporting or suspending  a separation and analysis platform in the form of  a lipid bilayer on a substrate; wherein said substrate comprises at least one nanostructure elongate nanotrough, said nanotrough having continuous or uninterrupted opposing walls along at least a substantial length thereof , and wherein said lipid bilayer comprises at least one has sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of  membrane associated biomolecules  embedded within said separation and analysis platform ; and  
 (b) applying a driving force to said lipid bilayer to separate said at least onemembrane associate d  biomolecule s  from said lipid bilayer each other within said separation and analysis platform  and to drive said at least onemembrane associated biomolecule s  within  and parallel to or in a plane of  said lipid bilayer into separation and analysis platform by virtue of the fluidity of said lipid bilayer, and guided by  said at least one nanostructure nanotrough .  
 
     
     
       21. The method of claim    20   , wherein said at least one nanostructure comprises at least one nanotrough. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim    20   , wherein said at least one nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least one nanostructure nanotrough  comprises at least one channel. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least one nanostructure nanotrough  further comprises at least one two elongate  protrusions. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said substrate comprises Si. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein said hybrid bilayer  25  comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least onenanostructure nanotrough  comprises an array of nanostructures arranged so that said arrayhas a gradient property. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 20 , wherein  at least one  of said at least onemembrane associated biomolecule s  comprises a transmembrane protein. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said at least one membrane associated biomolecule said lipid bilayer principally  comprises a  one or more  membrane phospholipid s . 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 20 , wherein  at least one of  said at least onemembrane associated biomolecule s  comprises a lipophilic biomolecule. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said driving force comprises an electrophoresis. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said driving force comprises an externally applied pressure. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said driving force comprises capillarity. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said driving force comprises diffusion. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 20 , wherein said driving force comprises osmosis. 
     
     
       38.  A separation method comprising:  
   providing a nanostructured device comprising (i) a substrate including a nanostructured matrix with at least one elongate nanotrough therein, (ii) a separation and analysis platform in the form of a lipid bilayer suspended over or supported in said nanostructured matrix and said at least one elongate nanotrough, said lipid bilayer being derived from cell organelles, and (iii) a plurality of membrane-associated biomolecules occurring within said device and extending in said at least one elongate nanotrough, said lipid bilayer having sufficient fluidity to allow for mobility of biomolecules embedded within said device; and    
   applying a driving force to said lipid bilayer to drive said biomolecules within said device, by virtue of the fluidity of said lipid bilayer, and in said at least one elongate nanotrough, to separate said biomolecules from each other in said device under a screening action of said nanostructured matrix .  
 
     
     
       39.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a simple bilayer . 
     
     
       40.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said lipid bilayer comprises a hybrid bilayer . 
     
     
       41.  The method of    claim 40   , wherein said hybrid bilayer comprises a self-assembled monolayer hybrid bilayer . 
     
     
       42.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough is filled with at least one fluid . 
     
     
       43.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said at least one elongate nantrough has a gradient property . 
     
     
       44.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said nanostructured device further comprises at least one nanostructured channel . 
     
     
       45.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said substrate comprises Si . 
     
     
       46.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said substrate comprises a semiconductor chip . 
     
     
       47.  The method of    claim 38   , wherein said nanostructured device comprises a biochip . 
     
     
       48.  The nanostructured device of    claim 6   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a varying width . 
     
     
       49.  The method of    claim 48    wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.   
     
     
       50.  The nanostructured device of    claim 15   , wherein said at least oen elongate nanotrough has a varying width.   
     
     
       51.  The nanostructured device of    claim 50   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width.   
     
     
       52.  The method of    claim 29   , wherein said at leat one elongate nanotrough has a varying width . 
     
     
       53.  The method of    claim 52   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width . 
     
     
       54.  The method of    claim 43   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a varying width . 
     
     
       55.  The method of    claim 54   , wherein said at least one elongate nanotrough has a continuously decreasing width .