Patent ID: 8361809

Claim:
A method for ionophorically screening pore forming bacterial protein toxins and receptors for insect toxicity, comprising: a) forming a membrane in a receptacle comprising an aperture by combining a lipid bilayer and an insect receptor, such that the membrane forms across the aperture and provides separation between two compartments in the receptacle, b) contacting the membrane with an ion solution and a pore forming bacterial protein toxin, whereby the pore forming bacterial protein toxin binds the insect receptor and forms a pore in the membrane, and c) measuring ion flow through the pore in the membrane, wherein the lipid bilayer comprises at least one of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylserine (POPS), 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol.