# The Interplay of Electric Potential and Morphology of Biomembranes - Supplement

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $112,748

## Abstract

SUMMARY
An electric potential difference across the plasma membrane is common to all living cells and is crucial for the
generation of action potentials for cell-to-cell communication. Beyond excitable nerve and muscle cell,
bioelectric signals conjugated with the transmembrane potential control many cell behaviors such as migration,
orientation, and proliferation, which play crucial role in embryogenesis, would healing, and cancer progression.
The mechanisms of cellular responses to electric stimuli are largely unknown. An electricity-centered view,
epitomized by the Hodgkin-Huxley model, focuses on the voltage-dependent ion channels. However, in recent
years membrane mechanics is emerging as a potentially important player: membrane deformations are
detected to co-propagate with action potentials, several ion channels have been found to be both voltage-
gated and mechanosensitive, and lipid rafts have been implicated as electrosensors. Assessment of the
relevance of these membrane-related effects in bioelectric phenomena requires fundamental understanding of
the coupling between membrane morphology, stresses, and voltage, which is limited.
 To fill this void, we take a combined theoretical and experimental approach to study of biomimetic
membranes with transmembrane potential induced by an externally applied electric fields. Specifically, the
research seeks to determine how membrane electric potential and charge elicit membrane responses such a
stretching or compression, curvature, and phase transitions, and vice versa, how changes in the membrane
morphology modulate the transmembrane potential. Mathematically, these are challenging free boundary
problems exhibiting complex dynamics. Continuum theory will be used to model the ions transport, motion of a
charged lipid membrane interface and the surrounding liquids. A computational method is being developed to
solve these complicated transient three-dimensional free-boundary problems. Limiting cases are investigated
analytically, using asymptotic and perturbation methods. Experimentally, using giant unilamellar vesicles
(GUVs) as a model membrane system we develop novel methodologies to probe the dynamic coupling
between shape and voltage of biomembranes. The techniques are based on the flickering spectroscopy
(analysis of the thermally driven micron- and sub-micron membrane undulations) and GUV deformation in
applied electric fields. We will investigate membranes with broad range of compositions mimicking biological
membranes. The experimental results will inform the mathematical models in terms of relevant physics and
material parameters, and vice versa, the theories will provide guidance for the experiments.
 The GUV dynamics are visualized using optical microscopy. This supplementary proposal therefore
requests funds to support the purchase of a new microscope set up to be dedicated for these studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10581416
- **Project number:** 3R01GM140461-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Petia M Vlahovska
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $112,748
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-05 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10581416

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10581416, The Interplay of Electric Potential and Morphology of Biomembranes - Supplement (3R01GM140461-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10581416. Licensed CC0.

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