Investigation of miscibility transitions in hybrid biomembranes with fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract

The combination of lipids and amphiphilic block copolymers to form hybrid biomembranes has been an area of recent scientific interest, with the goal of blending the biocompatibility of lipids with the enhanced mechanical durability and chemical diversity of block copolymers. Such hybrid membranes may have applications toward the continued development of liposomal drug delivery vehicles. Like various lipid mixtures, membranes containing both lipids and block copolymers display composition- and temperature-dependent phase behavior.