Core-shell modelling of light scattering by vesicles: effect of size, contents, and lamellarity (Biophysical Journal)

Having a fast, reliable method for characterising vesicles is vital for their use as model cell membranes in biophysics, synthetic biology, and origins of life studies. Instead of the traditionally-used Rayleigh-Gans-Debye approximation, we use an exact extended Lorenz-Mie solution for how core-shell particles scatter light to model vesicle turbidity. This approach enables accurate interpretations of simple turbidimetric measurements, and is able to accurately model highly scattering vesicles such as larger vesicles, those with multiple layers, and those with encapsulated material.