Permeability of tubular membrane protein

Electrical stimulation is an important technology for medical devices; however, safely limiting the electric current injection is an issue that remains to be solved. To improve the electrical properties of electrodes, we have proposed the use of tubular membrane proteins for achieving intracellular stimulation. This electrode, called “proteoelectrode”, is designed to control membrane potential across the pores of tubular membrane proteins. In this study, we evaluated the ion transport capability of tubular membrane proteins by using two different methods: electrical measurement and optical recording. Both experimental techniques indicated a similar ion transport capability. In addition, adequate calibration of optical recording, which is a relatively simple technique, required less recording time than electrical measurement for an equivalent accuracy.