The present invention is directed to disposing a membrane, for example, a biological cell membrane including amphiphilic lipids and proteins, or a liquid crystal membrane, between two electrical conductive walls having a height that is at least as great as the thickness of the membrane and, in particular, approximates the membrane thickness or height. The conductive walls are disposed on an electrically insulative base and can be approximately parallel to each other and perpendicular to the base. Two electrically conductive pads extending from each of the conductive walls are fabricated on the base. An electric field is propagated between the conductive walls along the plane of the membrane. An optional third electrode can be fabricated in between the planes of the conductive walls. This third electrode does not extend above the plane of the base and is electrically isolated from the two conducting walls. This invention relates to probing structural changes of the membrane by applying an in-plane electric field, using electric current measurements, impedance gain phase analysis, raster scanning by atomic force microscopy, and observation with confocal, fluorescence or other microscopy, but not limited to these tools.