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Updated: May 14, 2026

Single Molecule Methods for Monitoring Changes in Bilayer Elastic Properties
Published on: November 3, 2008
Controlling and measuring local composition and properties in lipid bilayer membranes
T G D'Onofrio1, C W Binns, E H Muth
1Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA.
Abstract:
Local composition, structure, morphology, and phase are interrelated in lipid bilayer membranes. This gives us the opportunity to control one or more of these properties by manipulating others. We investigate theserelationships with combinations of simultaneous two-color widefield fluorescence imaging, three-dimensional rendering of vesicle domains, andmanipulation of the vesicle morphology via optical trapping and micropipetteaspiration. We describe methods to modulate, to measure, and to probe thelocal structure of model membranes through control of membrane curvature inliposomes.
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