Physics Commons^™

Manipulating The Properties Of Light-Responsive Active Lipid Bilayer Membranes: Measuring Mechanics And Probing Mechanisms, Arash Manafirad

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis explores an experimental system probing the effect of energy input (in light-responsive bilayers) on membrane physicomechanical properties and dynamics of response to a trigger. We were inspired by the ability of cell membranes to alter their elastic and permeability properties and shape in response to energy input, change in lipid chemistry, or bilayer composition. Our work demonstrates and sheds new light on the roles of lipid chemical character, light-responsive moieties' incorporation in the membrane, and the lipid bilayer's mechanical properties on membrane response to chemical tuning or energy input. To observe how lipid chemistry affects membrane physical properties …