Investigations of surrogate cellular membranes using neutron reflectometry

The nonperturbative nature of neutron reflectometry (NR) coupled with its isotopic sensitivity has made it an ideal candidate for the study of model biological membranes at the solid-liquid interface. In this article, methods are presented for the creation and characterization of supported model membranes which can mimic many of the critical attributes of cell membranes. It is demonstrated that NR can characterize the structure, composition and organization of model membranes deposited on solid, nanoporous and polymer supports. Additionally, in situ NR measurements of the interactions between model membranes and external stimuli are presented. Finally, an investigation of the adherence region of live mouse fibroblast cells is described.