The Effect of Weak Permanent Magnetic Fields on the Electric Properties of Lipid-Bilayers

Alexander Pazur Botanisches Institut der Universität, Menzingerstr. 67, D-80638 München Z. Naturforsch. 50c, 833-839 (1995); received June 7/July 5, 1995 Lipid Bilayer, Black Lipid Membrane, Rudin-Müller Technique, Membrane Capacity, Magnetic Fields Black lipid membranes were prepared on a Teflon septum separating electrically the two chambers of a Teflon cuvette, using the technique of Mueller et al., (Nature 194. 979 (1962)). An external, static magnetic field was applied, whose intensity varied from 0 G to 100 G at the membrane location. Field applications higher than 10 G are effecting higher leakage currents, increased capacity and faster breakdown of the bilayer state, as compared to the absence of a magnetic field. If bilayers were doped with chlorophyll a, these effects were increased. Quantum mechanical and thermodynamical phenomena on membranes will be discussed as possible origins of these effects.