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Updated: Jul 7, 2025
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Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 24, 2017
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Hydrodynamics of a multicomponent vesicle under strong confinement
Ashley Gannon1, Bryan Quaife1, Y-N Young2
1Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA. ashleyrgannon@gmail.com.
Soft Matter
|December 22, 2023
Summary
This study models red blood cells using multicomponent vesicles in confined spaces. We found lipid coarsening is halted in tight constrictions but resumes upon release, aiding microfluidic sorting.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Red blood cells (RBCs) undergo significant deformation in narrow blood vessels.
- Understanding RBC behavior in confined geometries is crucial for diagnosing and treating related diseases.
- Multicomponent vesicles serve as simplified models for RBCs, allowing numerical investigation of their complex dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To numerically investigate the hydrodynamics and membrane dynamics of multicomponent vesicles in two strongly confined geometries.
- To model red blood cells (RBCs) undergoing large deformations in narrow constrictions.
- To propose a new parameterization for bending modulus applicable across all lipid phase parameter values.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations were employed to study vesicle behavior.
- Hydrodynamics and membrane dynamics were analyzed in two distinct confined geometries.
- A novel parameterization for bending modulus was developed and validated.
Main Results:
- Connections were established between lipid phase coarsening, lubrication layer properties, excess pressure, and membrane tank-treading velocity for vesicles in a stenosis.
- Lipid phase separation was observed in contracting channels, leading to increased vesicle stiffness at the front.
- Lipid coarsening was arrested under strong confinement and resumed rapidly upon release.
Conclusions:
- Lipid coarsening in multicomponent vesicles is arrested by strong confinement and resumes upon release.
- The findings suggest potential applications in sorting lipid domains using microfluidic flows.
- This research provides insights into RBC behavior in microcirculation and offers a method for controlled vesicle manipulation.
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