New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes

Date:
January 18, 2012
Source:
American Institute of Physics
Summary:
A new way of manipulating fluids on microscopic levels brings us one step closer to "bottom-up" artificial cell constructs.
Share:
FULL STORY

Opening up a new door in synthetic biology, a team of researchers has developed a microfluidic device that produces a continuous supply of tiny lipid spheres that are similar in many ways to a cell's outer membrane. "Cells are essentially small, complex bioreactors enclosed by phospholipid membranes," said Abraham Lee from the University of California, Irvine.

"Effectively producing vesicles with lipid membranes that mimic those of natural cells is a valuable tool for fundamental biology research, and it's also an important first step in the hoped-for production of an artificial cell." The researchers have taken an important step in advancing this field by developing a single system that quickly and efficiently performs all the necessary steps to create stable lipid vesicles. Current multistep production methods create vesicles that have inconsistent sizes and layers and short usable lifespans, and they are often contaminated with solvents used in their production.

A paper accepted for publication in the AIP's journal Biomicrofluidics reports that the new microfluidic design overcomes these previous hurdles by generating and manipulating precisely sized droplets of water in an oil environment. This produces an oil-and-water membrane that serves as a scaffold around which lipids molecules assemble. As the membrane dissolves over time, the accumulated lipids form a stable, uniform vesicle that shares many of a natural cell membrane's chemical and physical attributes.

Article: "Stable, Biocompatible Lipid Vesicle Generation by Solvent Extraction-based Droplet Microfluidics" is accepted for publication in the journal Biomicrofluidics.

Authors: Shai-Yen The, Ruba Khnouf, Hugh Fan, Abraham Lee


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Institute of Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

American Institute of Physics. "New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 January 2012. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112856.htm>.
American Institute of Physics. (2012, January 18). New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112856.htm
American Institute of Physics. "New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112856.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES