BPS2026 – Biomimetic models reveal how membrane tension and asymmetry affect fusion and inform viral fusion mechanisms

In this talk, I will show how we combine membrane model systems, micropipette aspiration, optical tweezers, and confocal fluorescence microscopy to study membrane shaping and remodeling. I will describe a tool we developed in which membrane bilayers are formed on polystyrene microspheres that can be trapped and manipulated with optical tweezers and brought into contact with micropipette-aspirated vesicles. Using this system, we demonstrated that membrane tension inhibits hemifusion by increasing the energy barrier for stalk formation (Shendrik, P. et al., 2023). We then extended the approach to interact supported membranes with asymmetric GUVs, revealing a preferred direction for fusion in asymmetric membranes (Shendrik et al., 2025). Finally, I will show how biomimetic models can be used to gain mechanistic insight into the action mechanisms of viral fusion proteins (Vaknin, A. et al., 2023, Yosibash, I. et al., 2025). Together, these studies demonstrate how combining mechanical tools with biomimetic models advances our mechanistic understanding of cell membranes.