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Continuum Modeling of Bilayer Lipid Membranes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Raffaella De Vita ,
David Hopkinson ,
Vishnu B. Sundaresan  and
Donald J. Leo
Raffaella De Vita
Affiliation:
[email protected], Virginia Tech, Mechanical Engineering, 305 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States, 540-231-2915
David Hopkinson
Affiliation:
[email protected], Virginia Tech, Mechanical Engineering, 310 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
Vishnu B. Sundaresan
Affiliation:
[email protected], Virginia Tech, Mechanical Engineering, 310 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
Donald J. Leo
Affiliation:
[email protected], Virginia Tech, Mechanical Engineering, 310 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
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Abstract

A continuum model is used for the description of the mechanical response of bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) subjected to hydrostatic pressure. The model is formulated under the assumption that the BLMs are Smectic A liquid crystals. The mean orientation of the amphiphilic molecules is postulated to be perpendicular to the lipid layers and each layer is idealized as a two dimensional liquid. The permeation process governs the motion of the molecules through the smectic layers. The approach taken in this study is based on the seminal works of Helfrich [1] and de Gennes [2] on Smectic A liquid crystals. The failure process of the BLMs, which is observed in the experimental studies, is considered to be due to extrusion of the BLMs through the pores of the polycarbonate filters.

Keywords

simulationbiologicalnanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 924: Symposium Z – Mechanics of Nanoscale Materials and Devices , 2006 , 0924-Z08-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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