What is Synthetic ion channels?

Synthetic ion channels are de novo chemical compounds that insert into lipid bilayers, form pores, and allow ions to flow from one side to the other. They are man-made analogues of natural ion channels, and are thus also known as artificial ion channels. Compared to biological channels, they usually allow fluxes of similar magnitude but are

Synthetic channels, like natural channels, are usually characterized by a combination of single-molecule and ensemble techniques. The study of synthetic ion channels can potentially lead to new single-molecule sensing technologies as well as new therapeutics.