Dr. Deshpande and team have now achieved a part of their goal by mechanically dividing liposomes, which are compositional equivalents of cell envelopes. Thus, a liposome, which is a lipid bubble filled with water, is the simplest mimic of a living cell. The team’s next mission was to split these liposomes into ‘daughter’ liposomes. In the past, researchers have used different methods to divide liposomes. By adding a fluorescent dye to the water inside the liposomes, the researchers visualised their fate using a microscope.

Source: The Hindu April 28, 2018 11:37 UTC