Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

What are Membranes?

What are Membranes?

A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

High-Rate Fingerprinting of Protein Isoforms by Quasi-regulated Enzyme-free Transport Through CytK Nanopores.

Research square·2026

Same author

Engineering the Self-Assembly of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins via Charged Mutations.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

High-Speed AFM Reveals Ligand-Dependent Supramolecular Switching of Human Phosphofructokinase-1.

Research square·2026

Same author

Engineering a Biological Nanopore for Monitoring Protein Dynamics and Conformational Changes at the Single-Molecule Level.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

Generative design of programmable asymmetric β-barrel nanopores.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Three-Dimensional Atomic Scale Insights into Unconventional Fragmentation of Two-Dimensional ReS<sub>2</sub> Monolayers into Molecular Clusters.

ACS nano·2026

Same journal

Reconfigurable Multistate Optical Memory in Mixed Halide Perovskites.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Tunable, High-Relaxivity Gd(III)-Conjugated Lipoic Acid Hydrogels for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Effects of Metal Ions of Metal-Organic Framework Membranes on the Transport of NaCl Solutions toward Seawater Desalination.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Immobilization of Single Ni Sites and Separated Pd Clusters in Covalent Organic Framework for Enhanced Electrochemical Reduction of Nitrite to Ammonia.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Evidence for Step-Edge-Assisted Large Hole Borophene on Ni(111).

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

Same journal

Growth Mode-Dependent Bi Incorporation and Carrier Localization in GaAsBi Wires.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Dehydrated Biomimetic Membranes with Skinlike Structure and Function.

Hyeonji Oh¹, Yu-Ming Tu¹, Laximicharan Samineni¹

¹McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|April 10, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed novel vapor-permeable dehydrated nanoporous biomimetic membranes (DBMs) that mimic human skin. These advanced materials offer superior water vapor transport and protection against harmful agents, outperforming current breathable fabrics.

Keywords:

biomimetic membranes breathable fabrics hydrophobic nano channels selective permeation water vapor transport

More Related Videos

Generation of a Simplified Three-Dimensional Skin-on-a-chip Model in a Micromachined Microfluidic Platform

Generation of a Simplified Three-Dimensional Skin-on-a-chip Model in a Micromachined Microfluidic Platform

Published on: May 17, 2021

Improving 2D and 3D Skin In Vitro Models Using Macromolecular Crowding

Improving 2D and 3D Skin In Vitro Models Using Macromolecular Crowding

Published on: August 22, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Generation of a Simplified Three-Dimensional Skin-on-a-chip Model in a Micromachined Microfluidic Platform

Generation of a Simplified Three-Dimensional Skin-on-a-chip Model in a Micromachined Microfluidic Platform

Published on: May 17, 2021

Improving 2D and 3D Skin In Vitro Models Using Macromolecular Crowding

Improving 2D and 3D Skin In Vitro Models Using Macromolecular Crowding

Published on: August 22, 2016

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Biomimetics
Nanotechnology

Background:

Current protective materials impede heat transfer due to poor water vapor permeability.
There is a need for advanced materials offering both protection and breathability.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a new class of vapor-permeable dehydrated nanoporous biomimetic membranes (DBMs).
To investigate the potential of DBMs mimicking human skin for enhanced vapor transport and protection.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of DBMs using channel proteins with high-density nanopores (>10^12 pores/cm^2).
Testing of DBMs for water vapor transport rates and exclusion of small molecules (biological agents, chemicals).
Comparative analysis with commercial breathable fabrics and molecular dynamics simulations.

Main Results:

DBMs demonstrated exceptional water vapor transport, up to 6.2 times higher than commercial fabrics, with significantly smaller pores (1 nm).
DBMs effectively excluded liquid and vapor phase agents, surpassing commercial fabrics.
Dehydrated DBMs showed over 38 times higher water resistance than commercial fabrics, attributed to increased protein hydrophobicity.

Conclusions:

DBMs represent a novel class of biomimetic membranes with superior performance under dry conditions.
The unique structure and dehydration-induced properties of DBMs offer significant advantages for protective wear and other applications.
DBMs show promise for membrane distillation, dehumidification, and atmospheric water harvesting.