A new method is presented to separate, enrich, and sort membrane-bound biomolecules based on their affinity for different coexisting lipid phases in a supported lipid bilayer using a two-dimensional, continuous extraction procedure. Analogous to classic liquid-liquid phase extraction, we created two distinct lipid phases in our planar membrane system: a liquid-ordered (l(o)) phase and a liquid-...

Lipid molecules bound to membrane proteins are resolved in some high-resolution structures of membrane proteins. An analysis of these structures provides a framework within which to analyse the nature of lipid-protein interactions within membranes. Membrane proteins are surrounded by a shell or annulus of lipid molecules, equivalent to the solvent layer surrounding a water-soluble protein. The ...