Surfactants, micelles, and vesicles constitute a class of self-assembled soft-matter physical systems arising from amphiphilic molecules in solution. Above the critical micelle concentration, surfactants spontaneously form micelles, typically spherical or anisotropic aggregates with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic coronas, governed by minimization of interfacial free energy and packing constraints. At higher concentrations or appropriate conditions (e.g., temperature, ionic strength, tail architecture), these assemblies can transition into bilayer-based vesicles, closed shell structures encapsulating aqueous volumes and exhibiting bending elasticity, membrane tension, and permeability properties. Collectively, these systems serve as model platforms for studying interfacial thermodynamics, mesoscale organization, and transport phenomena in complex fluids.
Cancer is transported from one organ to another by invisible bubbles. Understanding these microscopic messengers could change the fight against metastasis.
Bio & Medicine
Jan 26, 2026
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In a study published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, scientists from the UF Health Cancer Institute have found a way to make treatment for a notoriously aggressive breast cancer more effective. Using a delivery ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 23, 2026
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31
Biological processes that govern our lives are many, intertwined, and often difficult to understand. They involve countless interactions happening at once—molecules recognizing each other, signals being transmitted, and matter ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 23, 2026
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68
An international group of researchers led by Pompeu Fabra University has discovered the nanomachine that controls constitutive exocytosis: the uninterrupted delivery of spherical molecular packages to the cell surface. This ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 16, 2026
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59
Dynamin is a protein that plays a central role in endocytosis—the process where cells internalize substances by wrapping them in cell membrane vesicles. For a vesicle to detach, the neck of the membrane must be constricted ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 10, 2025
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15
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in modern biology. These nano-sized messengers mediate communication between cells, tissues, and organs, influencing processes from ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 4, 2025
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A new study describes a key molecular mechanism that explains how cells exchange information through extracellular vesicles (EVs), small particles with great therapeutic potential. The results, published in the Journal of ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 28, 2025
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14
Using catalytic chemistry, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo have achieved dynamic control of artificial membranes, enabling life-like membrane behavior. The work is published in the Journal of the American Chemical ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 28, 2025
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20
Researchers from the SNI network have discovered a novel way to fuse lipid vesicles at neutral pH. By harnessing a fragment of the diphtheria toxin, the team achieved vesicle membrane fusion without the need for pre-treatment ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 19, 2025
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21
The secretory pathway in eukaryotic cells is crucial for maintaining cellular function and physiological activities, as it ensures the accurate transport of proteins to specific subcellular locations or for secretion outside ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 22, 2025
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