Why do electric fields open pores in biomembranes?

by Dr. Carlos Marques

ENS - Lyon, Chemistry Laboratory, CNRS - UMR 5182, France

at Biological and soft-matter physics

Thu, 18 Jan 2024, 12:10
ZOOM only - Meeting ID: 838 1196 7631, Passcode: 345123 (link attached)

Abstract

Electric fields are routinely used to facilitate therapeutical crossing of the cell membranes by drugs, DNA, and other biomolecules. As a multibillion-dollar business, electroporation rests surprisingly on thin fundamental knowledge. Current modeling of why the electric field can puncture holes in the membrane has been accepted for half a century without having been put to stringent experimental tests. We have recently unveiled an extensive set of new data on the occurrence of pores in lipid membranes under an electric field. The results show not only that existing pore formation models cannot account for the experimental observations but point also to the likely reasons why pores form.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213112120

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Created on 18-12-2023 by Granek, Rony (rgranek)
Updaded on 11-01-2024 by Granek, Rony (rgranek)