Colloquia

Structure and Flexibility of Biomembranes: X-ray scattering using a non-crystallographic method

Most natural biomembranes are too fluid and flexible to have traditional crystallographic structures. My group has developed a method based on liquid crystal physics that provides appropriately detailed information from diffuse x-ray synchrotron scattering. Recent results for the effect of cholesterol in membranes will be presented. (http://lipid.phys.cmu.edu).