Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of aligned lipid bilayers at low temperatures

This study, for the first time, demonstrates that it is possible to mechanically align lipid bilayers at a very low temperature (as low as the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature). Performing NMR experiments on mechanically aligned lipid bilayers at a low temperature increases the signal-to-noise ratio, the resolution, and the span of NMR parameters. The increased lifetime of the alignment and the nature of the bilayer sample would enhance the application of solid-state NMR techniques to study membrane proteins. Copyright © 2004 American Chemical Society.