Liquid lipid phase separation on curved surfaces

By using colloid supported lipid bilayers of designed shape we proved how the interplay of the shape and the composition of a closed membrane determines the likelihood, the position and the composition of liquid domains [1]. Here, we show that if we open the membrane by connecting it to a reservoir of lipids, all these three properties are deeply affected. In particular, the pinning of the softer domains in high curvature regions is enhanced, leading to a consistent pattern on all colloids.

[1] Rinaldin, M.; Fonda, P.; Giomi, L.; Kraft, D. J. Geometric pinning and antimixing in scaffolded lipid vesicles. ArXiv e-prints 2018.