An FtsZ-centric approach to divide gene-expressing liposomes

The creation of artificial cells with the minimal set of components to exhibit self-maintenance, self-reproducibility and evolvability (in other words, to be considered alive) is one of the most exciting areas within the field of synthetic biology. Such entities, here called minimal cells, are constructed by either the top-down or bottom-up...

Temperature, lipid charge and septin dependence of lateral lipid diffusion in biomimetic membrane systems

Plasma membrane dynamics have become increasingly of interest due to recent discoveries on anomalous lipid diffusion in live cells. A specific characteristic has been found in the exponential relation between lateral lipid diffusion and temperature. The finding was reported to be surprising as a linear dependence was theoretically predicted. In...

Lipid bilayers cushioned with polyelectrolyte-based films on doped silicon surfaces

Silicon semiconductors with a thin surface layer of silica were first modified with polyelectrolytes (polyethyleneimine, polystyrene sulfonate and poly(allylamine)) via a facile layer-by-layer deposition approach. Subsequently, lipid vesicles were added to the preformed polymeric cushion, resulting in the adsorption of intact vesicles or...