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Updated: Jul 15, 2025

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

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Published on: October 15, 2015

Interfacial stresses on droplet interface bilayers using two photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

Yaoqi Huang¹, Vineeth Chandran Suja², Menghao Yang¹

¹Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

|October 4, 2023

Summary

Researchers developed a new platform to measure stress in lipid bilayers, revealing how these membranes respond to mechanical forces during formation and separation. This tool enhances understanding of membrane mechanics in cell biology.

Keywords:

Bilayers FLIM Interfacial mechanics Molecular flippers Two photon microscopy

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Last Updated: Jul 15, 2025

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

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Published on: October 15, 2015

Fluorescence detection methods for microfluidic droplet platforms

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Published on: December 10, 2011

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2023

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Materials Science
Synthetic Biology

Background:

Understanding lipid bilayer mechanics is crucial for fundamental and synthetic cell biology.
Novel tools are needed to apply mechanical strains and map stress distributions in lipid bilayers.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a miniature platform for manipulating droplet interface bilayers (DIBs).
To non-invasively measure spatio-temporally resolved interfacial stresses in DIBs.
To investigate interfacial stresses during key DIB processes: thin film drainage, bilayer formation, and bilayer separation.

Main Methods:

Utilized a miniature platform to manipulate droplet interface bilayers (DIBs).
Employed two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging of an interfacially active molecular flipper (Flipper-TR) for stress measurement.
Investigated interfacial stresses during DIB formation, drainage, and separation.

Main Results:

Revealed a radially decaying interfacial stress distribution after DIB formation.
Observed stress buildup and decay at the bilayer corner and center during bilayer separation.
Demonstrated that the molecular flipper is sensitive to membrane fluidity changes related to interfacial stress.

Conclusions:

The developed platform effectively measures interfacial stresses in DIBs.
The study provides fundamental insights into lipid bilayer mechanics under mechanical stress.
The findings expand the understanding of how molecular flippers sense stress and membrane fluidity.