Using flow to measure membrane properties

While most life takes place in an aqueous environment, the physics of micro-scale movement in fluid environments can be counterintuitive. I will discuss recent experiments with the theme of building up a three-dimensional, microscopic picture of motion. Multi-component lipid membranes act like two-dimensional fluids, whose flow can be observed to couple closely to that of the surrounding water. This fluidity can be used to ask questions about the physical properties of lipids and membrane proteins.