Conformational dynamics of vesicles
- Departments of Materials and Physics and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
The transport of ions and molecules through membranes is a key ingredient to many biophysical processes. For example, contemporary attempts for gene therapy require transport of DNA fragments through the cellular and nuclear membranes (1); signaling depends on ionic transport through dynamic pores in membranes (see, for example, ref. 2); efficient drug delivery vehicles based on vesicular “baggies” (see, for example, ref. 3) or multilamellar “onions” (see, for example, ref. 4) assumes well-controllable drug release. These are but a few examples where understanding the fundamental processes that control and signal for transmembrane transport of ions, molecules, and macromolecules may be central for the development of new technological processes. While there exists a large body of empirical knowledge on this subject, there is little substantial comprehension of the physical principles involved. For example, are there multiple mechanisms? What is the origin of the specificity? What is the role of cooperativity? To approach providing answers to such questions, visualization of the dynamical steps involved could be an …
