Title:
Investigation of Ion Channel Activities in the Presence of Ionic Liquids Using Model Cell Membranes

Speaker:
Tae-Joon JEON
Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Korea

Abstract:
Cell membranes are important constituents to keep homeostasis in the biological system and make essential barriers to interact diverse small molecules. Therefore, the conventional method employs live cells to study molecular interactions between cells and small molecules. Although experiments using live cells provide most reliable and straightforward data for cell-to-molecule interactions, those experiments are time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, as well as require expertise. However, model cell membranes in the form of a planar membrane or liposomes can provide an excellent platform for biophysical studies of cell behaviors at the molecular level. In this work, we studied the interactions between ionic liquids (IL) and a biomimetic membrane with a model ion channel, gramicidin A. As a result, ILs incorporated into the model membranes made perturbation in ion channel activities, leading to changes in the permeability of the ions across the membrane. In addition, we further conducted MD simulations to prove physical and electrical phenomena shown in the experiments.