This review gives a brief overview of experimental approaches used to assess the bending
rigidity of membranes. Emphasis is placed on techniques based on the use of giant …

The cell, as the most fundamental unit of life, is a microcosm of biology in which the
confluence of nearly all aspects of classical physics (mechanics, statistical physics …

Two different methods for measuring the bending stiffness of lipid membranes are used and
further developed: fluctuation analysis and vesicle electrodeformation. For this purpose, fast …

Giant unilamellar vesicles represent a promising and extremely useful model biomembrane
system for systematic measurements of mechanical, thermodynamic, electrical, and …

The ganglioside GM1 is present in neuronal membranes at elevated concentrations with an
asymmetric spatial distribution. It is known to generate curvature and can be expected to …

Membrane fusion is a ubiquitous process in biology and is a prerequisite for many
intracellular delivery protocols relying on the use of liposomes as drug carriers. Here, we …

The rheology of suspensions of soft particles, such as red blood cells, is a long-standing
problem in science and engineering due to the complex interplay between deformable …

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) represent a versatile model system to emulate the
fundamental properties and functions associated with the plasma membrane of living cells …

Based on the current knowledge, a plasma–liquid interface looks and behaves very
differently from its counterpart at a solid surface. Local processes characteristic to most …

The 1969 review by JR Melcher and GI Taylor defined the field of electrohydrodynamics.
Fifty years on, the interaction of weakly conducting (leaky dielectric) fluids with electric fields …