New study shows membrane flexibility hinges on how tightly lipids are packed

Cell membranes cradle, protect, and gatekeep living cells. Membranes can even affect how a cell behaves. But membranes' own erratic behavior has puzzled scientists for years. Turns out, it's all about perspective: When physicist Rana Ashkar's team members looked at how membranes behave on the nanoscale, they were able to identify unified biophysical laws that membranes have adhered to all along.