The Membrane as a Carrier of Information: A Bridge Between Prebiotic Physics and Nanoparticle Interactions

This conceptual paper proposes that biological membranes should be understood not only as physical barriers or reaction surfaces, but as carriers of information rooted in their structural and energetic organization. Building on previous studies of nanoparticle–membrane interactions, the text introduces a unifying framework in which such interactions are interpreted as encounters between nanoparticles and an informational state of the membrane. This informational state originates from prebiotic self-organization processes and is encoded in membrane composition, curvature, charge distribution, hydration, and mechanical tension. Unlike genetic information, which is symbolic and sequence-based, membrane-associated information is analog, distributed, and context-dependent. The paper argues that this physical form of information persists in modern cells and plays a decisive role in modulating nano–bio interactions. By integrating physical interaction models with an information-based perspective, the proposed framework provides a conceptual bridge between prebiotic physics, membrane evolution, and contemporary nanobiology.