The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between
nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain …

Cellular membranes exhibit a fascinating variety of different morphologies, which are
continuously remodeled by transformations of membrane shape and topology. This …

The bottom-up construction of a living cell using non-living materials represents a grand
challenge in science and technology. Reproduction of cells into similar offspring is key to …

Self-assembly of block copolymers into interesting and useful nanostructures, in both
solution and bulk, is a vibrant research arena. While much attention has been paid to …

During endocytosis of nanoparticles by cells, the cellular membranes engulf the particles,
thereby forming a closed membrane neck that subsequently undergoes fission. For solid …

Division of intracellular organelles often correlates with additional membrane wrap**, eg,
by the endoplasmic reticulum or the outer mitochondrial membrane. Such wrap** plays a …

Giant lipid vesicles form unusual multispherical or “multi-balloon” shapes consisting of
several spheres that are connected by membrane necks. Such multispherical shapes have …

Biological and biomimetic membranes are based on lipid bilayers, which consist of two
monolayers or leaflets. To avoid bilayer edges, which form when the hydrophobic core of …

Topological transitions of fluid lipid membranes are fundamental processes for cell life. For
example, they are required for endo-and exocytosis or to enable neurotransmitters to cross …

Condensate droplets are formed in aqueous solutions of macromolecules that undergo
phase separation into two liquid phases. A well-studied example are solutions of the two …