Multicomponent lipid bilayer membranes comprise a class of soft materials with intriguing physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. They are ubiquitous in mammalian cells where, together with proteins, they facilitate the interaction of cells with their surroundings. In this talk, I will first highlight the emerging understanding of the structure and dynamics of bilayer membranes in the vicinity of a critical point. In the second part of my talk, I will discuss our very recent analysis of compositional interface fluctuations in symmetric bilayer membranes below the critical point. The analysis incorporates the effects of diffusive and advective lipid transport processes within the membrane, viscous or viscoelastic membrane properties, coupling between membrane and solvent, and inertial effects within the membrane and solvent. Finally, in the third part of my talk, I will discuss the role of hydrodynamics on domain formation within multicomponent membranes undergoing phase separation.

Critical dynamics, compositional interface fluctuations, and coarsening dynamics in planar lipid bilayer membranes

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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