We investigate interactions between thermoresponsive microgel particles and lipid model membranes. We have previously shown that spherical PNIPAM microgel particles adsorb to fluid lipid bilayers in monolayers with crystalline packing.  Here we will focus on soft responsive isotropic and anisotropic microgel particles as well as lipogel composite particles. As model membranes, we use supported bilayers as well small and giant vesicles where we systematically very lipid composition.

We investigate dynamics of the microgel particles and their assembly near or within the membrane and the rate by which they are adsorbed. The study also concerns how particle-membrane interactions are affected by the nature of the lipid bilayer, e.g. fluidity, curvature, charge and domain formation. As an example, for lipid systems with segregated fluid and solid domains, the soft microgel particles preferentially adsorb to fluid domains into highly ordered 2D hexagonal arrays, rather than to solid domains, where almost no adsorbed particles were observed (figure).

People: Adriana Mihut, Meina Wang, Aleksandra Dabkowska, Jerome Crassous, Ellen Rieloff,Tommy Nylander,Peter Schurtenberger, Emma Sparr.

Contact person:Emma Sparr