Attaching these trapped microbeads to the cell membrane and pulling them forms a membrane tether (a string-like structure) enabling the cell membrane tension to be measured.

The membrane fraction contained in membrane structures was estimated by comparing the average pEYFP-mem fluorescence of cell regions containing structures to the average fluorescence of structure ...

Lipids are the building blocks of a cell's envelope - the cell membrane. In addition to their structural function, some lipids also play a regulatory role and decisively influence cell growth. The ...

“This finding emphasizes that membrane viscosity, previously overlooked, is a key factor in how membranes bend and reshape, offering new insights into cellular structure and function,” Vlahovska said.

All cells on Earth are made of phospholipid membranes. Now astronomers have found the component molecules in interstellar space.