Speaker
Description
Fluid lipid monolayers at the air/water interface provide a uniquely controllable model system for probing the molecular interactions that govern biological membrane organization. In cellular membranes, the chemical identity of lipid headgroups and the presence of sterols such as cholesterol critically shape lateral packing, domain formation, and the dynamic balance between order and fluidity. Yet, despite their central biological relevance, the in‑plane structural correlations within the liquid‑expanded (LE) phase remain comparatively underexplored. Using state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction (GIXD), it is possible to investigate how headgroup chemistry and sterol incorporation influence the short-range structural correlations of such fluid monolayers. The systematic comparison of monolayers containing different phospholipids and glycolipids, as well as varying molar ratios of phosphatidylcholines and cholesterol reveal how the organization of their in-plane structure is either enhanced or disrupted depending on the lipid environment.