Assembly of fluctuating molecules in artificial cell membrane
Lipids and membrane proteins existing in cell membranes, which are located at the outermost layer of cells, are responsible for recognizing extracellular environments and transferring that information inside the cell. Due to their deep relation to bacterial and viral infection and immunological response and neural transmission, they are important research topics in the fields of biology, medicine and drug development. In the reaction process of both external recognition and signal transfer, the formation of two-dimensional aggregates of lipids with bulky hydrophilic groups, such as sugar chains or inositol rings, in cell membranes are considered necessary. Small aggregates of up to 10 molecules are called clusters, while aggregates with more molecules and further growth are called domains.