Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Therapeutic Benefits of Robot-Assisted Gait Training in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT·2026

Same author

Artificial intelligence iterative imaging reconstruction with low-dose CT scans for hepatic metastases.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Chondrocyte Senescence and Knee Osteoarthritis Progression.

The American journal of sports medicine·2026

Same author

Platelet-rich plasma improves pain and function in knee osteoarthritis: a retrospective study.

Frontiers in physiology·2025

Same author

The application of optogenetics in traumatic brain injury research: A narrative review.

Brain circulation·2024

Same author

Revealing cholesterol effects on PEGylated HSPC liposomes using AF4-MALS and simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering.

Journal of applied crystallography·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Visualization of Bacterial Resistance using Fluorescent Antibiotic Probes

Visualization of Bacterial Resistance using Fluorescent Antibiotic Probes

Published on: March 2, 2020

Studying antibiotic-membrane interactions via X-ray diffraction and fluorescence microscopy.

Yi-Ting Sun¹, Ping-Yuan Huang², Cheng-Hao Lin³

¹Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan ; National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan.

|July 9, 2015

Summary

Penicillin and sulbactam antibiotics bind to the outer surface of model cell membranes, unlike cholesterol which inserts into the core. This finding is crucial for developing new antibiotics to combat drug resistance.

Keywords:

A. baumannii, Acinetobacter baumannii Cholesterol GUV GUV, giant unilamellar vesicle LXD LXD, lamellar X-ray diffraction Penicillin Sulbactam

More Related Videos

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Published on: October 25, 2013

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions

Published on: August 5, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Visualization of Bacterial Resistance using Fluorescent Antibiotic Probes

Visualization of Bacterial Resistance using Fluorescent Antibiotic Probes

Published on: March 2, 2020

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Nanomechanics of Drug-target Interactions and Antibacterial Resistance Detection

Published on: October 25, 2013

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions

Published on: August 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Membrane biophysics
Drug discovery
Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to treating bacterial infections.
Understanding antibiotic-membrane interactions is vital for developing novel therapeutic agents.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the interaction of model antibiotics (penicillin and sulbactam) with model membranes.
To compare antibiotic interaction with cholesterol's known membrane insertion model.

Main Methods:

Lamellar X-ray diffraction (LXD) to measure membrane thickness at varying drug-to-lipid ratios.
Aspiration of single giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) to monitor kinetic binding processes.

Main Results:

Penicillin and sulbactam were localized to the exterior of the model membrane.
Cholesterol was observed to insert perpendicularly into the membrane's hydrophobic core.
Distinct binding mechanisms were identified for antibiotics versus cholesterol.

Conclusions:

Antibiotics like penicillin and sulbactam interact with the membrane surface, not the hydrophobic interior.
These findings offer structural insights into antibiotic-membrane interactions and resistance mechanisms.
Understanding these interactions can guide the design of more effective antibiotics.