Non-technical abstract: This project lays a foundation for fully synthetic, lab-made membranes that can mimic the uniquely useful functions performed by the membranes of living cells. Instead of being powered and driven by active proteins, however, these new membranes are powered and driven by light: they are photoswitchable. In the future, these membranes could form the basis of artificial cells with organelle-like compartments to carry out designed biochemical reactions, release or take in chemical reagents and products, stir to enhance reaction rates, and even move in response to stimuli - all driven by light. Synthetic materials based on this science might lead to new products for skin care and for self-cleaning or protective coatings. This project uses lipid molecules that resemble those found in cells, with the crucial addition of an azobenzene group in one of the oily tails of each molecule. When exposed to light, the tails isomerize, i.e., change from an approximately straight to a sharply bent shape. Exposure to light of a different color shifts the tails back to their original shape. This bending causes the lipids to push or pull against one another, leading to transient compression or tension in the membrane. The light-induced molecular forces thereby cause dramatic changes of the membrane’s shape, drive fluid flow, and briefly allow exchange of molecules across the membrane. This three-year project includes fabricating membranes, exciting them with light, and usi