Topology and kinetic pathways of colloidosome assembly and disassembly

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Adkins, Raymond; Robaszewski, Joanna; Shin, Seungwoo; Brauns, Fridtjof; Jia, Leroy; Khanra, Ayantika; Sharma, Prerna; Pelcovits, Robert A.; Powers, Thomas R.; Dogic, Zvonimir
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara; Yale University; United States Department of Defense; United States Army; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center (ERDC); ERDC - Risk Modeling; University of California System; University of California Santa Barbara; National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) - USA; Indian Institute of Science (IISC) - Bangalore; Indian Institute of Science (IISC) - Bangalore; Brown University; Brown University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-11211
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2427024122
• 发表日期: 2025-09-09
• 关键词: transient pores; lipid-bilayers; CURVATURE; elasticity; membranes; vesicles; mechanics; DYNAMICS; geometry; modulus

摘要

Closed capsules, such as lipid vesicles, soap bubbles, and emulsion droplets, are ubiquitous throughout biology, engineered matter, and everyday life. Their creation and disintegration are defined by a singularity that separates a topologically distinct extended liquid film from a boundary-free closed shell. Such topology-changing processes are of fundamental interest. They are also essential for intercellular transport, transcellular communication, and drug delivery. However, studies of vesicle formation are challenging because of the rapid dynamics and small length scale involved. We develop fluid colloidosomes, micrometer-sized analogues of lipid vesicles. The mechanics of colloidosomes and lipid vesicles are described by the same theoretical model. We study colloidosomes close to their disk-to-sphere topological transition. Intrinsic colloidal length and time scales slow down the dynamics to reveal colloidosome conformations in real time during their assembly and disassembly. Remarkably, the lowest-energy pathway by which a closed vesicle transforms into a flat disk involves topologically distinct cylinder-like intermediate. These results reveal aspects of topological changes that are relevant to all liquid capsules. They also provide a robust platform for the encapsulation, transport, and delivery of nanosized cargoes.