Adhesion energy between bilayer surfaces

We have taken advantage of these deformability properties to establish a sensitive method for measurement of adhesion energy between bilayer surfaces (6, 8-10). Two spherical vesicles are selected and transferred from tne initial suspension in a cnamoer on the microscope stage to an adjacent chamber which contains a slightly more concentrated buffer (Q.13M PBS) plus macromolecules. There, the vesicles rapidly deflate to new equilibrium volumes. One vesicle is aspirated by a small... 

Because of the macroscopic dimensions observable in these experiments, it is not possible to determine the interoilayer forces directly however, cumulation of forces into an integral over distance is measurable. This integral is the negative worK or free energy reduction per unit area (i.e. adhesion energy) for assembly of the bilayers from infinite separation to staole contact (where the force between the surfaces is zero). 

---