Scientists have built atom-sized pores that act like living ion channels, opening the door to next-generation nanotech.

Ion selectivity is an important property of cell membrane ion channels. For example, potassium ion channels are more permeable to potassium ions than to sodium ions. The mechanism underlying the ready ...

Ion channels enable passive ion flow towards equilibrium, which is driven by ion concentration differences across the membrane and the membrane potential (the difference electric potential between the ...

Ion channels, which allow potassium and sodium ions to flow in and out of cells, are crucial in neuronal 'firing' in the central nervous system and for brain and heart function. These channels use a ...

Ligand-gated ion channels are ion channels that are opened or closed (gated) by ligands, generally small molecules such as the second messenger cAMP and neurotransmitters. Ligand-gated ion channels ...

Inspired by nature, an international research team has created synthetic pores that mimic the activity of cellular ion channels, which play a vital role in human health by severely restricting the ...

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and University of Tokyo, Japan, have, for the first time, synthesized a novel artificial transmembrane ion channel modeled on a naturally found ...

A new study has rewritten the conventionally understood evolutionary history of certain ion channels -- proteins critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. The study shows that the ...

Ion channels are membrane proteins, which play a principal role in regulating cellular excitability. They are found in virtually all cells, and are of crucial physiological importance. Based on the ...

Ion channels, which allow potassium and sodium ions to flow in and out of cells, are crucial in neuronal 'firing' in the central nervous system and for brain and heart function. These channels use a ' ...