Ion channels incorporated in nano-lipid bilayer and cell membrane for taste sensor

Biological studies have elucidated the gustatory detection of taste receptor cells often takes place on ion channels or receptors in cell membrane. In this study, we build electronic tongues based on ion channels of channel-active peptides gramicidin and taste receptor cell membrane. Peptides gramicidin was incorporated in lipid bilayer membranes supported with highly ordered nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO). By impedance analysis, this biomimetic sensing systems can separate tastants by their functional characters to ion channels. We also fabricate a taste sensor through an electrophysiological measurement of taste cells with natural ion channels in the cell membrane by microelectrode array (MEA). Based on the above study, we indicate that the detecting platforms can separate taste with characters similar to biology detection by natural ion channels and will be useful to study special ion channels or receptors with potential detecting for taste.