Unilamellar, phospholipid vesicles used in Raman microscopy studies

Description
Optical-trapping Raman microscopy developed for the analysis of the lipid bilayer structure of single phospholipid vesicles. A tightly focused laser beam of an inverted Raman microscope is used to capture and trap single vesicle to analyze the structure of the phosphatidylcholine bilayer, and to detect selectively the molecular contents of the trapped vesicle. Raman spectra can be acquired on the same trapped vesicle for several hours, which allows the permeability of the bilayer to be investigated by monitoring the exchange of molecules or ions through the membrane along with changes in membrane organization that influence permeability

Implications
Unilamellar phospholipid vesicles, or liposomes, are models for cell membranes, which can be used to investigate the structure and the function of molecules within the bilayer, pertinent to drug delivery and cellular regulatory processes. The small number of molecules present in bilayer presents a measurement challenge which is typically solved by employing fluorescent probes to label domains within the membrane.

Research Group Contacts
D. P. Cherney, J. C. Conboy, and J. M. Harris, Analytical Chemistry

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