Lipids are the building blocks of all living membranes. Understanding how biomembranes synthesize themselves, remodel, and operate has inspired numerous advances in materials development. From uses in lubricant additives, soaps, and cosmetics to biological applications ranging from mRNA delivery nanoparticles to inorganic nanocrystal ligands and supported bilayers for sensing, lipid matter is everywhere. Lipids and their synthetic analogues offer complex toolkits for designing and/or templating functional and responsive materials having 2D and 3D superstructures mimicking the rich polymorphism of biomembranes. The synthesis design space is well established for ground state equilibrium assembly or kinetically trapped systems. However, a current challenge in making lipid-based materials is being able to capture the process of living systems operating under out-of-equilibrium, active, and energy dissipative conditions.

This symposium will highlight experimental and theoretical topics of lipid materials impacting fundamental soft matter research as well as a broad range of biotechnology and biomedicine applications. We aim to connect research communities working on different scientific aspects of lipid structure, assembly, and function, including lipid synthesis, phase equilibria, lipid nanoparticles, active membranes, and surface patterning.

biological biological synthesis (assembly) biomaterial biomimetic (assembly)