Biomembranes assemble and operate at the interface with electrolyte solutions. Interactions between ions in solutions and the lipid affect the membrane structure, dynamics and electrostatic potential. In this article, I review some of the experimental and computational methods that are used to study membrane-ions interactions. Experimental methods that account for membrane-ion interactions directly and indirectly are presented first. Then, studies in which molecular dynamics simulations were used to gain an understanding of membrane-ion interactions are surveyed. Finally, the current view on membrane-ion interactions and their significance is briefly discussed.
Keywords: Alkali ions; Molecular dynamics; NMR; Quadrupole NMR; Specific ion effects.