Channels configuration, mechanical stability

In addition to the values of the parameters that one can estimate to get reasonable vibrational frequencies, there is the question of the mechanical stability of an ion in any configuration of channel or... 

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the patch-damp technique [5] A heat-polished glass pipette (tip diameter in the order of l jim) is pressed against a clean membrane surface. Upon slight suction a high resistance seal (> 1 GO) forms between the tip of the pipette and the membrane. This high seal resistance and the small membrane area reduce the background noise in such a way, that it becomes possible to measure currents (< IpA) passing through a single ion channel protein. The mechanical stability of the seal between pipette and membrane allows the isolation of the membrane patch encircled by the pipette The withdrawal of the pipette in the attached configuration results in an inside-out patch.

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