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Membrane Fluidity

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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.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...

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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Published on: October 15, 2015

UV-DIB: label-free permeability determination using droplet interface bilayers.

Robert Strutt^1,2, Felix Sheffield^1,2, Nathan E Barlow^1,2

¹Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, Shepherd's Bush, London, W12 0BZ, UK. o.ces@imperial.ac.uk.

|February 2, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new UV-DIB technology enables label-free measurement of small molecule diffusion rates through lipid bilayers. This reusable platform offers high sampling rates and precise quantification of permeation kinetics, crucial for pharmaceutical and agricultural research.

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Fluorescence Recovery after Merging a Droplet to Measure the Two-dimensional Diffusion of a Phospholipid Monolayer

Published on: October 15, 2015

Temperature-Controlled Assembly and Characterization of a Droplet Interface Bilayer

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Published on: April 19, 2021

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Analytical Chemistry
Materials Science

Background:

Simple diffusion across phospholipid bilayers is vital for pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.
Current methods using fluorescence have limitations in the range of chemical matter that can be studied.
Existing droplet interface bilayer (DIB) technologies require improvement in reusability and detection limits.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel UV-DIB platform for label-free measurement of small molecule translocation rates.
To enable precise quantification of passive diffusion kinetics and assess structure-permeability relationships.
To improve upon existing DIB technology with enhanced reusability, sampling rate, and detection sensitivity.

Main Methods:

Coupling droplet interface bilayer (DIB) technology with fiber optics for ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy analysis.
Utilizing custom-designed PMMA wells for sample analysis.
Validating the system by investigating multiple permeants with varying physicochemical properties across different lipid interfaces.

Main Results:

The UV-DIB platform provides label-free, rapid, and reproducible quantification of passive diffusion.
The system demonstrated sensitivity to lipid composition, showing reduced permeability with DPhPC compared to DOPC interfaces.
The device successfully rank-ordered xanthine compounds based on minor structural differences, highlighting its precision in assessing permeant structure effects.

Conclusions:

The UV-DIB is a powerful, reusable tool for label-free assessment of small molecule permeability through lipid bilayers.
This technology overcomes limitations of fluorescence-based methods, expanding the range of assessable compounds.
The platform's precision in evaluating structure-permeability relationships offers significant advantages for pharmaceutical and agrochemical research and development.