Figure 4.

Evaluation of pore formation within cross-linked polymersomes following surfactant solubilization. The water-soluble, low-molecular-weight dye carboxyfluorescein was encapsulated into chemically cross-linked polymersomes with and without 15% phospholipid. The polymerized vesicles were treated with an equivalent volume of buffer or Triton X-100 (final concentration = 10 mM) and then centrifuged on a Microcon centrifugal filtering device with a 100 kDa MWCO membrane (Millipore). The liquid that flowed through the filter was tested for fluorescence. (a) Cross-linked polymersomes doped with 15% phospholipid. (b) Cross-linked polymersomes without phospholipids.