Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions
Published on: May 27, 2021
On scattered waves and lipid domains: detecting membrane rafts with X-rays and neutrons
Drew Marquardt1, Frederick A Heberle2, Jonathan D Nickels2
1University of Graz, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Biophysics Division, NAWI Graz, Humboldtstr. 50/III, Graz, Austria. georg.pabst@uni-graz.at and BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria.
Abstract:
In order to understand the biological role of lipids in cell membranes, it is necessary to determine the mesoscopic structure of well-defined model membrane systems. Neutron and X-ray scattering are non-invasive, probe-free techniques that have been used extensively in such systems to probe length scales ranging from angstroms to microns, and dynamics occurring over picosecond to millisecond time scales. Recent developments in the area of phase separated lipid systems mimicking membrane rafts will be presented, and the underlying concepts of the different scattering techniques used to study them will be discussed in detail.
Related Concept Videos
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...
Membrane Fluidity
Membrane Domains
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the...
X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples
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...
Fluid Mosaic Model

