Budding Dynamics of the Lipid Membrane

Liposomes are widely used in industrial engineering systems including cosmetics and pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. A fundamental understanding of the dynamics of lipid bud formation is required to efficiently produce various high-technological liposomes with well-controlled sizes and shapes. In this study, a novel patterning method of controlling the uniformity of the sizes and shapes of liposome buds nucleated from a flat lipid film casted on a flat substrate is reported. The dried-out lipid components had been swelling during aqueous hydration, and they pinched away in approximately one hour. The sizes and spacing of the liposome buds were monitored during hydration. It was observed that the average size of the buds slowly increased, but their spacing did not significantly change. Moreover, the bud size distribution was a very narrow Gaussian, which implies the formation of buds with uniform sizes. The analytical calculation of the equilibrium state was theoretically developed and compared with the experiments. It is envisioned that this study will provide insights on a sustained-release drug vehicle.