Diffusion NMR and bicelle morphology

This minireview focuses on diffusion NMR studies in bicelles. Following a discourse on diffusion fundamentals, and a comparative overview of fluorescence and NMR-based techniques for measuring diffusion, the pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR diffusion method is introduced, emphasizing its specific advantages and limitations when applied to diffusion measurements in macroscopically oriented lamellar systems such as magnetically aligned bicelles. The utility of PFG NMR diffusion measurements in bicellar model membrane systems for examining lateral diffusion of membrane-bound molecular species is demonstrated, along with certain features of lateral diffusion that such studies illuminate. Further, those aspects of bicelle morphology that have been resolved using PFG NMR diffusion studies of various molecular weight soluble polymeric species are reviewed. The discussion concludes with an outline of future prospects for diffusion NMR studies in bicelles.