Cell Membranes Suspended Across Nanoaperture Arrays

We present a method for spreading large (>100 μm²) cell membrane fragments across nanoapertures in planar supports. Electron-beam and focused-ion-beam lithography were used to fabricate arrays of 50−600 nm diameter holes in free-standing silicon nitride (SiN) solid films 100−500 nm thick. By pressing adhering live cells onto the nanostructured SiN surface and then removing them, planar cell membrane sheets (CMSs) were transferred in a well-defined orientation onto the SiN support. We demonstrate the accessibility to both extracellular and intracellular surfaces of CMSs by targeting membrane constituents side-specifically with fluorescent markers. Our approach is of interest for studying ligand−receptor interactions using optical, electrical, and scanning probe techniques at the single-molecule level.