Lipids which are the building blocks of cell membranes are difficult to construct artificially because the vesicles are too delicate. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a process of mixing lipids and nanoparticles to produce new drug, agricultural materials and delivery vehicles. To stabilize lipids, the researchers prepared a dilute solution of lipid capsules of a particular size. After encapsulating chemicals in the capsules or adsorbing molecules on their surfaces, they added charged nanoparticles to the solution. The nanoparticles adhere to the capsules and prevent further growth, freezing them at the desired size. These are hollow, deformable and biofunctional capsules. It is possible to increase the lipid concentration to any limits. They can be used in drug delivery, colloidal-based biosensors and enzyme-catalyzed reactions. They can find use in biologically friendly capsule delivery vehicles in exciting new health and agricultural applications.