{"id":12858,"date":"2026-01-04T12:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/cell-membrane-flexoelectricity\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T12:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T12:05:27","slug":"cell-membrane-flexoelectricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/cell-membrane-flexoelectricity\/","title":{"rendered":"A Hidden Source of Power May Have Been Discovered Surrounding Our Cells"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><strong>Lead:<\/strong> Researchers at the University of Houston and Rutgers University report a theoretical mechanism by which tiny, active ripples in the lipid membranes that surround cells could produce usable electrical voltages. Published in PNAS Nexus in 2025, the model couples known membrane fluctuations driven by protein activity and ATP consumption with the material property called flexoelectricity. Their calculations suggest those ripples can generate transmembrane voltages up to about 90 millivolts on millisecond timescales \u2014 amplitudes and timing comparable to signals in excitable cells. If validated, the effect could help explain ion movement, coordinated tissue responses, and inspire bio\u2011inspired materials and computing designs.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The theoretical model (Khandagale et al., PNAS Nexus, 2025) links active membrane fluctuations and flexoelectricity to produce transmembrane voltages up to ~90 mV, a magnitude comparable to neuronal thresholds.<\/li>\n<li>Predicted voltages emerge on millisecond timescales, matching the temporal window of nerve impulses and fast cellular signaling.<\/li>\n<li>Active drivers in the model include protein conformational activity and ATP hydrolysis, both established sources of non\u2011equilibrium membrane motion.<\/li>\n<li>The mechanism could assist directed ion transport across membranes, potentially influencing muscle contraction, sensory transduction, or coordinated tissue phenomena.<\/li>\n<li>Authors propose the effect can scale across coupled cells, enabling larger\u2011scale polarization in tissues rather than remaining a purely local phenomenon.<\/li>\n<li>Applications suggested include bio\u2011inspired neuromorphic materials and energy\u2011harvesting synthetic membranes, although experimental validation is pending.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>Cell membranes are thin lipid bilayers embedded with proteins that constantly move, bend and remodel. Thermal agitation produces random membrane undulations, but living cells are not at thermal equilibrium: proteins change shape and ATP is consumed in organized, stochastic ways that drive additional mechanical fluctuations. Historically, membrane fluctuations have been studied to understand mechanical properties, diffusion of membrane components and how proteins sense curvature, but attention to their electromechanical consequences has been limited.<\/p>\n<p>Flexoelectricity is a material property in which spatial gradients of strain or curvature produce electrical polarization. It is a well\u2011known effect in synthetic and biological thin films: bending a membrane can separate charge. Under strict thermodynamic equilibrium, such microvolt\u2011level contributions average out and cannot power work. The new study pivots on the fact that cellular membranes are persistently driven by active, energy\u2011consuming processes, which can bias fluctuations away from simple equilibrium averaging.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>The authors constructed a theoretical framework that combines measured magnitudes of active membrane fluctuations with flexoelectric coupling constants reported for lipid bilayers. Using perturbative and numerical calculations, they estimate that realistic values of activity and flexoelectric coefficients yield transmembrane voltage differences up to approximately 90 millivolts in local regions. That magnitude is comparable to differences needed to depolarize neurons and initiate action potentials in some contexts.<\/p>\n<p>Importantly, the model predicts these voltages arise on millisecond timescales, because the same active forces that push membranes also fluctuate at those rates. The timing aligns with fast ion channel kinetics and electrical signaling, which suggests membrane\u2011generated voltages could, in principle, modulate or bias ion channels rather than replace canonical ionic currents entirely. The authors emphasize a coupling: active bending produces polarization, and polarization can alter ion fluxes.<\/p>\n<p>The study also explores how electro\u2011mechanical effects could coordinate across adjacent cells. If neighboring membranes fluctuate coherently or are mechanically coupled through junctions or extracellular matrix, local voltages could sum or bias tissue\u2011scale polarization. The result is a speculative pathway for emergent electrical patterns that do not rely solely on classical gap\u2011junction or synaptic transmission mechanisms.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &amp; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>Biologically, a membrane\u2011level source of voltage could provide a supplementary bias to ion channels and pumps, lowering energetic costs for certain transport events or shaping excitability thresholds. For example, a localized 10\u201390 mV bias could assist ion entry or exit and influence how easily a neuron or muscle fiber reaches action potential threshold. However, the model does not claim membrane flexoelectricity is the primary driver of action potentials; rather it suggests a modulatory role that could be significant in particular cellular contexts.<\/p>\n<p>The calculations depend on parameters that vary between cell types: membrane composition, embedded protein density, ATP consumption rates and flexoelectric coefficients. Those coefficients are sensitive to lipid makeup and experimental measurement techniques, so the absolute voltage estimates carry uncertainty. Demonstrating the effect in living tissue will require simultaneous high\u2011speed mechanical and electrical measurements with spatial resolution at the scale of nanometers to micrometers.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond physiology, the proposed mechanism opens routes for engineered systems. Designers of synthetic membranes, sensors or neuromorphic hardware might harness active flexoelectricity to create low\u2011power, mechanically driven electrical signals. The authors specifically note implications for artificial neural networks and bio\u2011inspired computational materials that transduce mechanical fluctuations into directed electrical activity.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &amp; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Parameter<\/th>\n<th>Typical value (biology)<\/th>\n<th>Model prediction<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Resting membrane potential (neuron)<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u221265 to \u221270 mV<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Action potential threshold<\/td>\n<td>\u2248 \u221255 mV (varies)<\/td>\n<td>Local bias up to ~90 mV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Predicted generation timescale<\/td>\n<td>Ion channel kinetics: ms<\/td>\n<td>ms\u2011scale membrane voltage pulses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The table summarizes how the predicted flexoelectric voltages compare with canonical electrical values in excitable cells. While resting potentials are established by ionic gradients and active pumps, the modeled membrane\u2011generated voltages are comparable in magnitude and timing to physiological signals, which is why they may modulate excitability if realized in vivo.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &amp; Quotes<\/h2>\n<p>Researchers present the findings cautiously, framing them as a theoretical demonstration that activity plus flexoelectricity can amplify transmembrane polarization. Independent experimental confirmation is a key next step.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Cells are not passive systems \u2014 they are driven by internal active processes such as protein activity and ATP consumption,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Khandagale et al., PNAS Nexus (2025)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This line emphasizes that the mechanism relies on persistent non\u2011equilibrium activity. The authors later underline the functional possibility rather than certainty.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Activity can significantly amplify transmembrane voltage and polarization,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Khandagale et al., PNAS Nexus (2025)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That phrasing signals the paper&#8217;s main claim: activity can boost electrically relevant signals. Outside experts quoted in media coverage note the result is provocative but requires controlled physiological tests before assigning a direct biological role.<\/p>\n<h2>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Flexoelectricity and membrane concepts<\/summary>\n<p>Flexoelectricity is an electromechanical coupling where bending or curvature gradients in a dielectric material create electrical polarization. In lipid bilayers, curvature differences between regions can separate charge; this is distinct from piezoelectricity and depends strongly on membrane composition. ATP\u2011driven protein conformational changes and motor activity introduce non\u2011equilibrium, directed fluctuations into membranes, producing persistent bending events that would not average away as in thermal equilibrium. When such active bending couples with flexoelectricity, a net transmembrane voltage can arise transiently and locally. Measuring these effects requires synchronized mechanical and electrical probes at micro\u2011 to nanometer scales and millisecond temporal resolution.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<\/h2>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Direct experimental observation of flexoelectric\u2011driven voltages of ~90 mV in living cells is not yet reported; current support is theoretical and model\u2011based.<\/li>\n<li>Whether such voltages can reliably trigger action potentials in intact neural tissue under physiological conditions remains unproven.<\/li>\n<li>The extent to which membrane composition and cellular context modulate flexoelectric coefficients and active fluctuation amplitudes in vivo is uncertain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>The PNAS Nexus study provides a carefully argued theoretical route by which active membrane fluctuations and flexoelectricity could produce biologically relevant voltages. The predicted amplitudes and timescales map onto known electrical signaling windows, making the mechanism plausible as a modulatory influence on ion transport and excitability rather than a wholesale replacement of established ionic mechanisms.<\/p>\n<p>Confirming physiological relevance requires targeted experiments that measure membrane curvature, local polarization and ionic currents together in living cells and tissues. If verified, the idea would reshape aspects of membrane biophysics and inspire engineered systems that turn mechanical activity into directed electrical signals.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/a-hidden-source-of-power-may-have-been-discovered-surrounding-our-cells\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ScienceAlert \u2014 news report summarizing the study (media)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pnasnexus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PNAS Nexus \u2014 original peer\u2011reviewed journal (academic)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lead: Researchers at the University of Houston and Rutgers University report a theoretical mechanism by which tiny, active ripples in the lipid membranes that surround cells could produce usable electrical voltages. Published in PNAS Nexus in 2025, the model couples known membrane fluctuations driven by protein activity and ATP consumption with the material property called &#8230; <a title=\"A Hidden Source of Power May Have Been Discovered Surrounding Our Cells\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/cell-membrane-flexoelectricity\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about A Hidden Source of Power May Have Been Discovered Surrounding Our Cells\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Hidden Electrical Power Around Cells \u2014 DeepScience","rank_math_description":"A 2025 PNAS Nexus study from University of Houston and Rutgers proposes membrane flexoelectricity can produce up to 90 mV on millisecond scales, potentially biasing ion flow and inspiring bio\u2011inspired materials.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"cell membrane, flexoelectricity, transmembrane voltage, ion transport, PNAS Nexus","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12858\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}