HighGenMem · Conformations of High Topological Genus Membranes

Biomembranes are fundamental to our understanding of the cell, the basic building block of all life. An intriguing aspect of membranes is their ability to assume a variety of shapes, which is crucial for cell function. While membranes can bend easily, their surface topology often remains constant. Topology is characterised by topological genus g, which counts the number of handles attached to a sphere. For instance, g=0 for a sphere and g=1 for a mug. Over the past decades, the shape of fluid lipid membranes with spherical topology (g=0) has been extensively explored experimentally, theoretically, and through computer simulations. However, our understanding of membranes of higher genera remains extremely limited. High-genus membranes are of interest for two reasons: (i) organelle membranes, such as the ones found in mitochondria and Golgi apparatus exhibit high-genus shapes, and (ii) these structures allow for a much wider range of membrane conformations, which enables a better design of biomimetic systems, such as vesicles for nanotechnological and biomedical applications. Computer simulations have emerged as an indispensable tool for investigating complex biological systems. I am an expert on membrane biophysics and computer simulation techniques. Since 2012 I have been developing a multiscale computer simulation scheme that is an ideal tool for exploring membrane shapes. In this research proposal, I will expand the multiscale scheme to characterize high-genus membranes. I aim to predict different emerging shape families, understand how to control, and stabilize these shapes, and reveal how proteins organize on these morphologies.This investigation will yield a plethora of new data on biomembrane shapes, thereby contributing to biomedical developments by providing fundamental theoretical bases for understanding cellular membrane behaviours and for the design of biomimetic systems.