Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers
Published on: July 22, 2015
Shear-Induced Nonequilibrium Patterns in Lipid Bilayer Membranes Exhibiting Phase Separation
Tsutomu Hamada1, Shino Mizuno1, Hiroyuki Kitahata2
1School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi City, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan.
Fluid lipid membranes under shear flow form stripe patterns, transitioning to wave patterns at higher flow rates. This reveals dynamic structures in nonequilibrium biological membranes.
Area of Science:
- Soft matter physics
- Biophysical chemistry
- Interface science
Background:
- Nonequilibrium dynamics of fluid lipid membranes are crucial across multiple scientific disciplines.
- Plasma membrane heterogeneity can be mimicked by lipid vesicles with order-disorder phase separation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the dynamic response of phase-separated lipid vesicles to shear flow.
- Observe shear-induced nonequilibrium patterns on the membrane surface.
Main Methods:
- Immobilizing lipid vesicles in a microfluidic chamber.
- Observing membrane surface patterns using an optical microscope.
Main Results:
- Phase-separated membranes formed dissipative stripe patterns aligned with vortex flow.
- The number of stripes increased with applied flow rate.
- A stripe-to-wave transition occurred at high flow rates, featuring domain migration and phase replacement.
Conclusions:
- A dynamic phase diagram for shear-induced wave patterns was established by varying flow rate, membrane components, and temperature.
- Findings offer insights into lipid membrane dissipative structures out of equilibrium.
- The study sheds light on flow-mediated mechanotransduction in biological membranes.
More Related Videos
10:02Neutron Spin Echo Spectroscopy as a Unique Probe for Lipid Membrane Dynamics and Membrane-Protein Interactions
Published on: May 27, 2021
10:08Phase Behavior of Charged Vesicles Under Symmetric and Asymmetric Solution Conditions Monitored with Fluorescence Microscopy
Published on: October 24, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Fluid Mosaic Model
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is...
Membrane Asymmetry Regulating Transporters
Flippase
Eukaryotic flippases are type-IV P-type ATPases or P4-ATPases belonging to P-type ATPase family proteins that are membrane-bound pumps involved in the ATP-mediated transport of ions and molecules across the membrane. Flippases flip specific phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of a membrane. All P4-ATPases have one...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...