In this paper, we used temperature manipulation a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) to reversibly control the electrical resistance and the amount of current that flows through the bilayer membrane with pA resolution. For this experiment, heating is achieved by irradiating AuNPs that are surrounded by the bilayer membrane with laser light at their plasmon resonance frequency. Obtained results show that the AuNPs convert light into local heating, creating small and localized heat sources, lead to the formation of a small pore in the lipid membrane and ultimately allowing increasing the permeability of BLMs. The whole process is monitored with bright field microscopy and patch-clamp equipment. This approach of controlling biological systems and cellular function with high Spatio-temporal resolution can be used for neuronal photostimulation.

Keywords: Optical stimulation, Plasmonic heating, Phospholipid membrane, Gold nanoparticle

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