Bringing hidden variables into the open unveils a barrier for lipid insertion into membranes

Abstract

Biological membranes exhibit a large variety in lipid composition which relates to biological function. Uncovering how the diverse lipid compositions are built and maintained has been an intriguing research question in the membrane community because understanding these processes is essential for drawing a bottom-up biophysical picture of membranes. Two timely articles (1,2), one of which is published in this issue of Biophysical Journal, shed a new light on the inner workings of the lipid household.