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Biomembranes can be defined loosely as structures bounding all cells and cell organelles; they are typically composed of lipids, proteins, steroids, sugars etc. Roughly 30% of all human proteins are membrane proteins. Vital to health, they control the flow of information and materials between cells and mediate critical activities such as nerve impulses and hormone action. Membrane proteins are the targets of more than 60% of all drugs on the market today, thus understanding their structures and mechanisms of function will provide valuable contributions to the discovery and improvement of pharmaceuticals. Membrane proteins are also key components in the formulation of vaccines against bacterial, viral and fungal human pathogens.
The Biomembrane Systems Concept
