Constructing and using Phase Diagrams of Multi-component Lipid Mixtures

Abstract

For most studies of lipid mixture models of biomembranes, researchers must understand which phases are present and in what fractions in order to interpret almost any kind of signal information from their samples. This workshop talk describes both the conceptual value of phase diagrams for understanding the lipid bilayer as a fascinating state of matter, and also details of useful methods that we have found to yield reliable phase boundaries and phase identification. In addition, highlighting some problematic experimental methods might be of value to those who want to solve their own phase diagrams.