  The membrane curvature of cells and intracellular compartments continuously
adapts to enable cells to perform vital functions, from cell division to signal
trafficking. Understanding how membrane geometry affects these processes in
vivo is challenging because of the membrane complexity as well as the short
time and small length scales involved. By contrast, in vitro model membranes
with engineered curvature provide a versatile platform for this investigation
and applications to biosensing and biocomputing. However, a general route to
the fabrication of lipid membranes with prescribed curvature and high spatial
resolution is still missing. Here, we present a strategy that overcomes these
challenges and achieve lipid membranes with designed shape by combining 3D
micro-printing and replica-molding lithography to create scaffolds with
virtually any geometry and high spatial resolution. The resulting supported
lipid membranes are homogeneous, fluid, and can form chemically distinct lipid
domains. These features are essential for understanding curvature-dependent
cellular processes and developing programmable bio-interfaces for living cells
and nanostructures.
