Kinetics of photo-switching in lipid monolayers containing DPPC and azobenzene-glycolipids

Lipid membranes are highly interactive and the structure of the proteins is intimately connected with the lipid environment. The motion of lipids and proteins occur on time scales from ns to ms. We introduce a model system in which we use photo-switchable glycoconjugates to induce structural changes in a membrane consisting of DPPC to study the lipid-lipid interaction. The reversibly switching of the glycoconjugates results in a conformation change of the molecule. Existing static XRR and GID measurements on mixed monolayers revealed reversible structural changes in the ordering and orientation of the lipids. The observed structural changes suggest a mechanical coupling between the lipids. The dynamic of this coupling is not well understood yet and needs more investigation. This experiment will not only contribute to the fundamental understanding of membrane dynamics but also to potential applications for molecular switches such as drug delivery, cell recognition and optical storage.