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.
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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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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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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Membrane proteins are crucial for numerous biological processes and serve as important drug targets. For decades, scientists have relied on detergents to extract membrane proteins from cell membranes for structural studies.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 23, 2025
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61
Inside cells there are tiny particles, known as extracellular vesicles, that store and move molecules. Our cells naturally package beneficial proteins and healing compounds into these tiny bubbles, dispatching them to where ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 16, 2025
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32
Dr. Seon Joon Kim and his team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)'s Convergence Research Center for SEIF have developed a high-conductivity amphiphilic MXene material that can be dispersed in water, polar ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 18, 2025
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30
Exosomes, naturally derived vesicles responsible for intercellular communication, are emerging as next-generation drug delivery systems capable of transporting therapeutics to specific cells. However, their tightly packed, ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 13, 2025
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