The present disclosure provides various novel suspended planar lipid bilayer assemblies made from bicellar mixtures containing long and short chain phospholipids and methods of making the same. Such bilayer assemblies may additionally incorporate biomolecules such as proteins, polypeptides, biological complexes, transmembrane proteins and other membrane-associated compounds. The present disclosure further provides uses for such lipid bilayer assemblies including proteomics, membrane study, biosensing for medical diagnosis and environmental monitoring, chemical and biological warfare agent sequestration, actuator development, and bio-fuel cell development.