6. Lipids: Soft, Dynamic Containers

An important criterion in all definitions of life is the requirement for enclosure. There must be a boundary that separates the living systems from its surroundings, that prevents dissociation of genetic information and that enables an autopoietic metabolic system to be upheld. On the fundamental level of the single cell, enclosure is created by a doubled-layered membrane which encapsulates the cellular components, effectively isolating them from the cell exterior. The cell membrane is a highly dynamic system relying of self-assembly and self-organization. From a nanotechnological point of view these properties, which can be traced down to the properties of the individual building blocks, are highly interesting. In paper IV and V, bio-inspired membrane systems are utilized to facilitate reactions between molecules confined to a surface.