We describe the development of a new methodology to probe the plasma membrane organization of living cells at the nanometric scale. Single nanometric apertures in a metallic film limit the observed membrane area below the optical diffraction barrier. The new approach performs fluorescence correlation spectroscopy with increasing aperture sizes and extracts information on the diffusion process f...

Membrane potential around single molecules has been measured by using the nonlinear optical phenomenon of second harmonic generation. This advance results from the interaction between a highly dipolar molecule with a selectively directed highly polarizable 1-nm gold particle. With this approach, a second harmonic signal, which is enhanced by the nanoparticle, is detected from a volume of nanome...

Membrane filtration performances can be enhanced by the deposition of a selective thin layer on surface porous substrate. Our simulation focus nanometric bicontinuous microemulsions onto hollow-fibre membranes and its polymerisation using UV modules. To that end, laws governing linear liquids have been extended to study microemulsions. highlights difficulty depositing liquid coating fibre witho...

Supported phospholipid bilayers (SPBs) have emerged as important model systems for studies of the natural cell membrane and its components, which are essential for the integrity and function of cells in all living organisms, and also constitute common targets for therapeutic drugs and in disease diagnosis. However, the preferential occurrence of spontaneous SPB formation on silicon-based substr...

High-Resolution Imaging and Manipulation of Membrane Proteins by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Summary Membrane proteins are nanometric machines fulfilling defined functions in cell membranes. They work as transporters, linkers, adhesion molecules, channels, pumps, receptors, enzymes, and in the bio-energetic machineries, only naming a few tasks. In agreement with their importance, it was foun...

in this work, a simple and effective way to modify the support surface is developed and a nanostructure ceramic support to facilitate deposition of a defect-free overlying micro and meso (nano) porous membrane is obtained. to achieve high performance nanocomposite membranes, average pore size of outer surface of support was reduced by dip-coating in submicron and nano α-alumina slurries. in thi...

The pH sensing and nonideal characteristics of a ruthenium nitride (RuN) sensing membrane pH sensor were investigated. RuN thin films were deposited from a 99.9% ruthenium target on p-type silicon substrates using radio frequency (r.f.) sputtering with N(2) gas. Subsequently, the nanometric structure and surface morphology of RuN thin films were determined. The sensitivity of the RuN sensing me...

Vesicular exocytosis is an essential and ubiquitous process in neurons and endocrine cells by which neurotransmitters are released in synaptic clefts or extracellular fluids. It involves the fusion of a vesicle loaded with chemical messengers with the cell membrane through a nanometric fusion pore. In endocrine cells, unless it closes after some flickering ('Kiss-and-Run' events), this initial ...

Nanocapsule consists of a thin membrane surrounding a core (Liquid, solid) with their size ranging from 10nm to 1000 nm. Nanocapsules are submicroscopic colloidal drug carrier systems composed of an oily or an aqueous core surrounded by a thin polymer membrane. The membrane may be composed of natural or synthetic polymers. Two technologies can be used to obtain such Nanocapsules: the interfacia...