Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026

12:18
Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
4.2K
Supported Lipid Bilayers for the Generation of Dynamic Cell-Material Interfaces
Jasper van Weerd1,2,3, Marcel Karperien2, Pascal Jonkheijm1,3
1Bioinspired Molecular Engineering, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500, AE, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|November 18, 2015
Summary
Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are versatile tools for studying cell membranes. This review details SLB fabrication, modification, and applications in cell analysis and potential in vivo uses.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) serve as advanced model membranes.
- They provide a synthetic platform for interacting with biological systems.
- SLBs are crucial for understanding cellular membrane functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the state-of-the-art in supported lipid bilayer technology.
- To detail the fabrication, analysis, characteristics, and modification of SLBs.
- To highlight SLBs' applications in studying membrane organization, processes, and cell interactions.
Main Methods:
- Detailed description of various SLB fabrication strategies on diverse substrates.
- Explanation of SLB patterning techniques.
- Methods for analyzing SLB characteristics and modifications.
Main Results:
- Comprehensive overview of SLB formation and manipulation.
- Demonstration of SLBs as effective platforms for in vitro membrane studies.
- Exploration of SLBs for mimicking cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions.
Conclusions:
- Supported lipid bilayers are highly adaptable for diverse research applications.
- SLB technology offers significant potential for advanced cell analysis.
- Future directions include exploring in vivo applications of SLBs.
Related Concept Videos
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
11.0K
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%...
11.0K
Membrane Fluidity
17.9K
Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
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...
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...
17.9K
Membrane Fluidity
179.3K
Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.
179.3K
Fluid Mosaic Model
19.8K
Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich...
19.8K
Membrane Domains
8.2K
The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
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...
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...
8.2K
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation
4.4K
Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with...
4.4K

