Lipid protein interactions - insights from neutron reflectometry

Bert Nickel (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Germany)

Cell membranes act as a giant switchboard, exchanging information and energy with the outside world. Much of this process is regulated by proteins docking to the membrane. I will discuss to which extent changes in the membrane induced by protein adsorption can be followed by neutron reflectometry. First, I will present our sample chamber which allows for the combination of neutron reflectometry and fluorescence microscopy. Second, I will show that the combination of the neutron data with high-q data obtained from a sealed x-ray tube or from a synchrotron source allows for the analysis of rather complex samples. Finally, some highlights obtained at N-Rex and REFSANS at FRM-II will be presented, including tethered membranes and protein layers for rapid cell attachment.

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