Studies on the Integrity of Lipid Membranes upon the Interactions of Nanoparticles and Integration of Cholesterol

The integrity of plasma membranes is vital for cell function and survival. We are interested in studying the integrity of lipid membranes because it directly affects the health of cells. In this talk, I will present our findings on how gold nanoparticles adsorbed on lipid vesicles created localized stress yet caused the long-range effect of increased fluidity of unbound lipid membranes. I will also present how gold and silver nanoparticles interact differently with lipid vesicles as observed using the hyperspectral dark-field microscopy. Furthermore, I will present the reflective spectral analysis of lipid vesicles integrated with various concentrations of cholesterol, a suggestive approach for the characterization of the phase and integrity of lipid membranes.