Zoology of giant unilamellar vesicles

ORAL

Abstract

Lipid vesicles, especially giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are often used as simplified models for biological membranes, but their polymorphous panoply of shapes and shape changes is notorious to those who work with them. This affords opportunities to study why phospholipid membranes so often fail to minimize their surface area to adopt spherical shapes. For example, tube-like membranes are formed when flow is introduced during hydration and when certain types of lipids or polymers are inserted into the membrane. This talk will describe the evolution of GUVs from spherical to pearl-like and to tube-like shapes, and back again reversibly.

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Authors

  • Yan Yu

    Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Stephen Anthony

    Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Chemistry, UIUC, Dept of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, Dept of Chemistry, Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Sung Chul Bae

    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Steve Granick

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, material science and engineering, UIUC, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois, Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, Dept of Materials Science \& Engineering, Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Material Science and Engineering, UIUC