Figure 1.

(a) Equilibrium of two identical vesicles adhering through mobile non-compliant binders. Chemical equilibrium requires uniformity and equality of the chemical potentials (left). Mechanical equilibrium requires satisfaction of the Young–Laplace and Young–Dupré relations (right). (b) A capillary model describing membrane mechanics in terms of the half-size of the adhesion $\hat{s}$, the angles θ and β and the radius R. (c) A schematic of the system, where a loading device controls surface tension γ and force F. (d) Micro-mechanics model of the adhesion patch resolving the separation profile relative to an equilibrium separation h, accounting for bending stiffness and bond compliance.