The elastic properties of a self-assembled bilayer membrane are studied using the self-consistent field theory, applied to a model system composed of flexible amphiphilic chains dissolved in hydrophilic polymeric solvents. Examining the free energy of bilayer membranes with different geometries allows us to calculate their bending modulus, Gaussian modulus, two fourth-order membrane moduli, and...

Recent experiments have exploited elastic instabilities in membranes to create complex patterns. However, the rational design of such structures poses many challenges, as they are products of nonlinear elastic behavior. We pose a simple model for determining the orientational order of such patterns using only linear elasticity theory which correctly predicts the outcomes of several experiments....

173 news & views t he space occupied by living organisms is determined by membranes. Each cell is delimited by a membrane, and additional membranes form the functional hierarchy of compartments packed within it. The intracellular compartments, for example vesicles and organelles, define the spatial organization of metabolic pathways, thus providing the topological framework for cellular life. R...