Spatiotemporal Imaging of Water in Operating Voltage-Gated Ion Channels Reveals the Slow Motion of Interfacial Ions.

Ion channels are responsible for numerous physiological functions ranging from transport to chemical and electrical signaling. Although static ion channel structure has been studied following a structural biology approach, spatiotemporal investigation of the dynamic molecular mechanisms of operational ion channels has not been achieved experimentally. In particular, the role of water remains elusive.

Interaction of Oil and Lipids in Freestanding Lipid Bilayer Membranes Studied with Label-Free High-Throughput Wide-Field Second-Harmonic Microscopy.

The interaction of oils and lipids is relevant for membrane biochemistry since the cell uses bilayer membranes, lipid droplets, and oily substances in its metabolic cycle. In addition, a variety of model lipid membrane systems, such as freestanding horizontal membranes and droplet interface bilayers, are made using oil to facilitate membrane monolayer apposition. We characterize the behavior of excess oil inside horizontal freestanding lipid bilayers using different oils, focusing on hexadecane and squalene.