An investigation into the structure of extremophile membranes
File(s)
Author(s)
Liao, Yifei
Type
Thesis
Abstract
The possibility that living organisms might exist in extraterrestrial environments, often referred to as extremophiles, has been one of the most controversial topics in space science. This research investigated the effects of high pressure on conditions relevant to the origin of extraterrestrial life. The primary objective of this study was the construction of a high-pressure system in the laboratory. The developed system was integrated with a phase-contrast microscope to measure the bending rigidity of Giant Unilamellar Vesicle (GUV) membranes with different degrees of lipid unsaturation (e.g., DOPC, POPC, and DMPC) under varying pressure conditions. Bending rigidity, which represents the energy required to deform membrane curvature, is a fundamental parameter for understanding many biophysical and biochemical behaviors of biological membranes. In addition, the high-pressure system was also integrated with a quartz cuvette to monitor and incubate deep-ocean bacteria under high-pressure conditions. Besides the simplified vesicle model experiments, bacterial experiments using marine microorganisms were designed as a complementary component of this study.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2025-07-22
Date Awarded
01/01/2026
License URL
Advisor
Law, Robert
Brooks, Nicolas
Publisher Department
Department of Chemistry
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)