Membrane organization under strong curvature

Combining simulation and experiment, we will investigate the spatio-temporal organization of multicomponent lipid membranes under strong externally imposed curvature and tension. Such membranes will be prepared as small, unilamellar vesicles or lipid tubes with radii of a few tens of nanometers. Simulation and experiment will provide information on how extreme curvature and tension affect the structure and dynamics on a hierarchy of scales ranging from molecular organization and single-lipid dynamics to lateral membrane structure and elasticity.