ABSTRACT
Micromechanical experiments based on glass micropipette manipulation are widely known and versatile techniques for the characterization of giant vesicles in terms of their physicochemical state and material properties. Based on the study of synthetic lipid membranes with well-defined chemical compositions, it is possible to perform a wide variety of fundamental studies, including measurements of membrane bending, elasticity, resistance against tensile strength, shear viscosity, thermal behavior, molecular adsorption or desorption, and interactions between pairs of vesicles. The present chapter gives a theoretical overview of these methodologies, together with experimental details, optimizations, combinations with other techniques, and outlook for future research.
