Abstract
A review is made on recent development in X-ray diffraction studies on lipid and biological membranes.
The exposure or counting time needed to observe diffraction pattems from membranes has been very much shortened by the combined use of total reflection mirror, the curved monochromator and the position sensitive proportional counter. The time will be further shortened to the order of msec by use of the electron synchrotron radiation as a very strong X-ray source.
Discussion is made on what can be achieved with the new techniques by presenting several examples, concerning structures, phase transitions and phase separations in membranes and inter-membrane interactions. Recent activities in X-ray studies of biomembranes are summarized in a table.
