Licensable Technologies : Materials : Nanotechnology

Membrane Architectures for Ion-Channel Switch-Based Electrochemical Biosensors

Abstract
The invention is a biosensor based on forming a compartment or cell in a dual phospholipid bilayer membrane, where the compartment is located in the bottom membrane and the top membrane serves to seal the top of the compartment.  Therefore, the contents of the compartment can be isolated from any material outside the compartment.  By introducing ion-channel or transmembrane proteins into the top membrane, the biosensor can be used to study both the ion-channel and transmembrane  proteins and the small molecules and proteins that bind to these proteins.  The binding event triggers a measureable electrochemical signal.  For example, the invention can be used as a biosensor to detect toxins that target neurotransmitters and as a platform to perform drug discovery and development.  The invention has been partially reduced to practice; single “buckets” and 32-compartment arrays have been fabricated, but the proteins haven’t been installed into the compartments.

Application(s)

• Drug discovery & development
• Biosensing for hazardous/pathogenic agents

Advantages

• Uses well-known established photolithographic fabrication

IP Status: Available both Exclusively and Non Exclusively

Commercialization Strategy: We are offering licenses in two categories:  (i) an exclusive license to a company that will distribute the bacterial packaging cell lines individually or in kit form and (ii) nonexclusive licenses to companies that will to use the technology in providing services.

Specifie licensing terms and conditions will be negotiated on a case by case basis.  For information on our licensing practices see http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/tt/license/.

Reference Number: 301

S Number: DOE reference no.(s): 102,349

Patents & Applications:
United States National Patent Number 7442403 Issued on 10/28/2008

Posted: 06-25-2008

Contact
David Hadley
Technology Transfer Division
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MailStop C334
(505) 667-7539
dhadley@lanl.gov