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Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
Published on: July 22, 2015
Direct visualization of phase transition dynamics in binary supported phospholipid bilayers using imaging
Alan W Szmodis1, Craig D Blanchette2, Andrey A Levchenko3
1Dept. of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, CA USA. anparikh@ucdavis.edu and Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Via imaging ellipsometry, we study the phase transition dynamics induced by selective gelation of one component in a binary supported phopholipid bilayer. We find the modulation of two attendant morphological features: emergence of extended defect chains due to a net change in the molecular areas and fractal-like domains suggesting weak line tension. A time-lapse analysis of the ellipsometric images reveals the cluster size of 4-20 molecules undergoing gelation indicating weak cooperativity. These results demonstrate the use of ellipsometry for in situ, label-free, non-contact, and large-area imaging of dynamics in interfacial films.
