Atomic Force Microscopy of Lipid Domains in Supported Model Membranes
互联网
486
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been a significant tool in the characterization of lipid domains in model membranes. With
            AFM, one can image the structure of membranes in a natural fluid environment with a lateral resolution that approaches 1 nm
            and vertical resolution of 0.1 nm. The AFM technique is discussed, with a special emphasis on imaging soft, compliant memranes
            that are supported on solid substrates such as glass or mica. In typical model membranes, lipid domains are formed by phase
            separation in multicomponent lipid mixtures and are observed by nm-level height differences owing to lipid packing. A general
            procedure for creating supported lipid bilayers through vesicle fusion is discussed.
         
      








