Séminaire

Vendredi 10 Février 2017 à 14h00.

The Nanoscopic Face of Complex Biomembrane Mimetics

''Biological membranes are well known for their dynamic structural complexity at the molecular level. Lipid-only membranes are well-established mimics of natural membranes and entail insight on physicochemical properties pertaining to membrane function. Of recent our research efforts have been focused on complex lipid mixtures displaying domains of variable size, or transmembrane asymmetry. Applying a set of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering experiments allows us to derive detailed structural and elastic information of these systems exploring contrast variation or osmotic stress techniques. For example, we are currently exploiting thicknesses and lipid packing densities of coexisting lipid domains, or transbilayer coupling mechanisms in asymmetric membranes. I will highlight some of our recent results, including measurements of interactions between like-domains and their modulation by salt. Finally I will also detail how our structural/elastic data can be coupled to predictions on protein partitioning in a given lipid environment.''