New transport mechanism of a nanomaterial through a cell membrane: membrane stretching

Increasing awareness of bioeffects and toxicity of nanomaterials interacting with cells puts in focus the mechanisms by which nanomaterials can cross lipid membranes. Apart from well-discussed energy-dependent endocytosis for large objects and passive diffusion through membranes by solute molecules, there are other transport mechanisms based on physical principles. A team of theoretical physics at Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, led by Dr. Vladimir Baulin, designed a research project to investigate the interaction between nanotubes and lipid membranes. In computer simulations, the researchers studied what they call a "model bilayer" composed of only one type of lipid. Based on their calculations, the team observed that an ultra -short nanotube (10nm length) can insert perpendicularly to the lipid bilayer core.