Biomedical subjects

M Zäch

Publications and source records attributed to M Zäch.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A multitechnique study of liposome adsorption on Au and lipid bilayer formation on SiO2.

We have used a new setup for parallel quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements to measure the detailed kinetics of vesicle-to-bilayer transformation on SiO2 and vesicle adsorption on Au, respectively. The combination of SPR and QCM-D, complemented by atomic force microscopy measurements, has enabled a complete, time-resolved separation of vesicle and bilayer coverages, and thus, for the first time, allowed precise quantification of the critical surface coverage of vesicles needed for rupture. We furthermore demonstrate and quantify a previously undetected vesicle-size- and concentration-dependent loss of lipid material during the later stages of the process.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2006

Imaging and manipulation of adsorbed lipid vesicles by an AFM tip: experiment and Monte Carlo simulations.

Single lipid vesicles adsorbed on SiO(2) were manipulated using an atomic force microscope (AFM) operated in contact mode. For large force setpoints, single vesicles were either pushed sideways or ruptured by the tip, depending on the tip type (sharp or blunt) used, while for small force setpoints the vesicles were imaged by the tip. To extend the interpretation of and to guide the experiment, we have developed a generic model of the vesicle-tip-substrate system and performed Monte Carlo simulations, addressing the influence of force setpoint and tip speed and shape on the type of imaging or manipulation observed. Specifically, we have explored AFM-image height and width variations versus force setpoint, typical AFM images for small and large force setpoints, tip-induced vesicle strain versus force setpoint, typical vesicle shapes during pushing for different tip speeds, and the details of vesicle rupture induced by the tip.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2001

Density fluctuations under confinement: when is a fluid not a fluid?

Knowing the behavior of a fluid in small volumes is essential for the understanding of a vast array of common problems in science, such as biological interactions, fracture propagation, and molecular tribology and adhesion, as well as pressure solvation and other geophysical processes. When a fluid is confined, its phase behavior is altered and excluded-volume effects become apparent. Pioneering measurements performed with the surface forces apparatus have revealed so-called structural or oscillatory solvation forces as well as the occurrence of a finite shear stress, which was interpreted as a solidification transition. Here, we report measurements obtained with an extended surface forces apparatus, which makes use of fast spectral correlation to gain insight into the behavior of a thin film of cyclohexane confined within attoliter volumes, with simultaneous measurement of film thickness and refractive index. With decreasing pore width, cyclohexane is found to undergo a drastic transition from a three-dimensional bulk fluid to a two-dimensional adsorbate with strikingly different properties. Long-range density fluctuations of unexpected magnitude are observed.

Journal Article↗