Abstract
Understanding the electrical biophysical properties of the cell membrane can be difficult for neuroscience students as it relies solely on lectures of theoretical models without practical hands on experiments. To address this issue, we developed an open-source lipid bilayer amplifier, the OpenPicoAmp, which is appropriate for use in introductory courses in biophysics or neurosciences at the undergraduate level, dealing with the electrical properties of the cell membrane. The amplifier is designed using the common lithographic printed circuit board fabrication process and off-the-shelf electronic components. In addition, we propose a specific design for experimental chambers allowing the insertion of a commercially available polytetrafluoroethylene film. We provide a complete documentation allowing to build the amplifier and the experimental chamber. The students hand-out giving step-by step instructions to perform a recording is also included. Our experimental setup can be used in basic experiments in which students monitor the bilayer formation by capacitance measurement and record unitary currents produced by ionic channels like gramicidin A dimers. Used in combination with a low-cost data acquisition board this system provides a complete solution for hands-on lessons, therefore improving the effectiveness in teaching basic neurosciences or biophysics.
Highlights
The traditional lecture is still the standard pedagogical method for teaching science at the undergraduate level, it has been shown that more active approaches are more efficient especially in large-enrollment courses [1,2]
We propose an open-source lipid bilayer amplifier which is appropriate for use in introductory courses in biophysics or neuroscience
We provide a basic experimental protocol allowing university undergraduate students to build artificial cell membranes and examine ionic channels properties at the singlemolecule level
Summary
The traditional lecture is still the standard pedagogical method for teaching science at the undergraduate level, it has been shown that more active approaches are more efficient especially in large-enrollment courses [1,2]. It is challenged by the development of massive open online course, or MOOC. Instead of giving the same explanations over and over, the teacher can capture his explanation once on video or audio, and spend energy and time individualizing instruction [4] This provides a way to cope with large class sizes and reach students who are at varying levels of understanding and skill
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