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AFM-Based Force-Clamp Monitors Lipid Bilayer Failure Kinetics
journal contribution
posted on 2016-02-21, 14:30 authored by Lorena Redondo-Morata, Marina I. Giannotti, Fausto SanzThe lipid bilayer rupture phenomenon is here explored
by means
of atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force clamp, for the first
time to our knowledge, to evaluate how lipid membranes respond when
compressed under an external constant force, in the range of nanonewtons.
Using this method, we were able to directly quantify the kinetics
of the membrane rupture event and the associated energy barriers,
for both single supported bilayers and multibilayers, in contradistinction
to the classic studies performed at constant velocity. Moreover, the
affected area of the membrane during the rupture process was calculated
using an elastic deformation model. The elucidated information not
only contributes to a better understanding of such relevant process,
but also proves the suitability of AFM-based force clamp to study
model structures as lipid bilayers. These findings on the kinetics
of lipid bilayers rupture could be extended and applied to the study
of other molecular thin films. Furthermore, systems of higher complexity
such as models mimicking cell membranes could be studied by means
of AFM-based force-clamp technique.