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Related Concept Videos

Lipids as Anchors01:32

Lipids as Anchors

In the plasma membrane, the lipids forming the bilayer can also act as an anchor to tether proteins to the membrane. The three main types of lipid anchors found in eukaryotes are – prenyl groups, fatty acyl groups, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol or GPI groups. Prenyl and fatty acyl groups act as anchors on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, whereas GPI anchors proteins on the extracellular side.
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains the...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
Colloids03:22

Colloids

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, which...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER01:28

Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER

Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...
Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...

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Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method
09:38

Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method

Published on: December 1, 2015

Polymer-supported lipid shells, onions, and flowers.

Anna Bershteyn1, José Chaparro, Richard Yau

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Room 8-425, 77, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. ;, Tel: +1 617 452 4174.

Soft Matter
|September 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles with phospholipid envelopes can form distinct nanostructures like shells, onions, or flowers. This lipid envelope

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Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

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09:38

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06:28

Self-Assembly of Hybrid Lipid Membranes Doped with Hydrophobic Organic Molecules at the Water/Air Interface

Published on: May 1, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles are crucial for drug delivery.
  • Controlling nanoparticle morphology is key to optimizing therapeutic efficacy.
  • Phospholipid envelopes offer biocompatibility and tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize and characterize phospholipid-enveloped biodegradable polymer nanoparticles.
  • To investigate the influence of lipid composition and quantity on nanostructure formation.
  • To explore the structural versatility of these novel nanocarriers.

Main Methods:

  • Emulsion/solvent evaporation technique for nanoparticle synthesis.
  • Confocal microscopy for structural analysis.
  • Cryoelectron microscopy for high-resolution imaging.

Main Results:

  • Phospholipid envelopes exhibit two-dimensional fluidity.
  • Nanoparticles self-assemble into 'shell', 'onion', or 'flower' configurations.
  • Nanostructure morphology is directly dependent on lipid quantity and composition.

Conclusions:

  • The emulsion/solvent evaporation method allows for controlled formation of complex nanostructures.
  • Tunable lipid envelopes provide a versatile platform for designing advanced nanoparticles.
  • These findings have implications for developing next-generation drug delivery systems.