Relaxation of a Simulated Lipid Bilayer Vesicle Compressed by an AFM

Using Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics simulations, we study the relaxation of bilayer vesicles, uniaxially compressed by an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) cantilever. The relaxation time exhibits a strong force-dependence. Force-compression curves are very similar to recent experiments wherein giant unilamellar vesicles were compressed in a nearly identical manner.