Effect of voltage on pores in membranes

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Abstract
In our model, a voltage is applied across an insulating lipid membrane embedded in a conducting aqueous medium and containing a pore. It is shown to produce along the pore boundary negative contributions to both the edge energy and the lateral tension of the membrane. One effect promotes opening and the other closure of the pore. Surprisingly, we find that voltage may inhibit pore opening and stabilize pores of a certain size.