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Lipids: Isolation and Purification

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Encyclopedia of Biophysics

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Introduction

Pure lipid preparations in the range of 1–100 mg are commonly required for biophysical studies. This contrasts with the microgram requirements of analytical and biochemical methods. Structure studies by X-ray (Caffrey 1989) and NMR (see “Cross-References”) are especially demanding regarding the lipid amounts. As a result, scarce lipid sources such as cell cultures, which are appropriate using the procedures of biochemical studies, cannot be applied. The capability to purify abundant and sufficiently purified mg samples is a critical prerequisite for biophysical studies of biological lipid. However, the improvements in sample preparation for X-ray such as “the rock and roll method” (Tristram-Nagle 2007) and enhanced ESR equipment sensitivity by resonator are decreasing the lipid quantities required for structural methods.

For amounts required by biophysical studies, the extraction of lipids from biological sources is challenged by chemical synthesis, which can be scaled up...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse et métabolisme des lipides, ERL INSERM 1157/UMR7203 Faculté de Médecine Saint Antoine, Sorbonne Université 27 Rue de Chaligny, Paris, France

    A. Lamaziere

  2. Applied Lipidomics Investigation, APLIPID Sarl, Paris, France

    C. Wolf

Authors
  1. A. Lamaziere
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  2. C. Wolf
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Wolf .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Leicester MRC Centre, Leicester, UK

    Gordon Roberts

  2. Dept Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Anthony Watts

Section Editor information

  1. Membrane Biophysics Platform, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK

    John Seddon

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© 2019 European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA)

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Lamaziere, A., Wolf, C. (2019). Lipids: Isolation and Purification. In: Roberts, G., Watts, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_534-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35943-9_534-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35943-9

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