Scientific and practical applications of supported lipid-protein bilayers are described.
Membranes can be covalently coupled to or separated from solids by ultrathin layers of …

Interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT) is an extremely sensitive imaging method
based on the efficient detection of light scattered by nanoscopic objects. The ability to, at …

Giant vesicles are widely used as a model membrane system, both for basic biological
systems and for their promising applications in the development of smart materials and cell …

A general introduction to surface and interfacial forces, perfectly combining theoretical
concepts, experimental techniques and practical applications. In this completely updated …

The self-assembly of particles at fluid interfaces, driven by the reduction in interfacial energy,
is well established. However, for nanoscopic particles, thermal fluctuations compete with …

Optical microscopes have for centuries been our window to the microscopic world. The
advent of single-molecule optics over the past few decades has ushered in a new era in …

Tree frogs are remarkable for their capacity to cling to smooth surfaces using large toe pads.
The adhesive skin of tree frog toe pads is characterized by peg-studded hexagonal cells …

Many animals that locomote by legs possess adhesive pads. Such organs are rapidly
releasable and adhesive forces can be controlled during walking and running. This capacity …

Research on giant vesicles is becoming increasingly popular. Giant vesicles provide model
biomembrane systems for systematic measurements of mechanical and rheological …

We image macroscopic transient pores in mechanically stretched giant vesicles. Holes open
above a critical radius rc1, grow up to a radius rc2, and close. We interpret the upper limit rc2 …