Patterned domains of supported phospholipid bilayer using microcontact printing of Pll-g-PEG molecules.

In this work, we propose a reliable microcontact printing (μCP) process for generating Patterned Supported Phospholipids Bilayer (P-SPB) confined by Poly-L-(lysine)-grafted-polyethylene(glycol) (Pll-g-PEG) molecular barriers. The efficiency of Pll-g-PEG for inhibiting the fusion process of incubated liposome was first analyzed by Quartz Micro Balance (QCM) measurements. The quality and stability of Pll-g-PEG patterns were then both verified by fluorescence microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in liquid media.

Contribution to the elucidation of the structure of the bacterial flagellum nano-motor through AFM imaging of the M-Ring.

The flagellar nano-motor of bacteria is one of the most interesting and amazing natural nano-machine. Despite its discovery 30 years ago, some details of its structure and mechanisms are not yet elucidated. Several studies have revealed some important aspects of its structure and numerous data are available today; however, the inner mechanisms of the nano-motor have not been yet resolved, partially due to the lack of information about the 3D assembly, shape and interactions of the different parts in experimental environment as close as possible as the native cellular conditions.