The invention provides a product comprising: a membrane-spanning protein a lipid membrane formed from amphiphilic molecules and membrane-spanning protein molecules and a substrate, wherein the membrane protein is directly coupled to the substrate. The invention also provides a method for producing such a product which i) comprises treating a substrate with a hydrophilic coating agent ii) providing at least one membrane-spanning protein iii) bringing the protein into contact with the treated substrate under conditions for the coupling of the protein directly to the treated substrate and iv) adding amphiphilic molecules to the protein-coupled substrate to form a lipid membrane. The product is useful for biosensors, protein arrays and the like.
