The power, pitfalls and potential of the nanodisc system for NMR-based studies

The choice of a suitable membrane mimicking environment is of fundamental importance for the characterization of structure and function of membrane proteins. In this respect, usage of the lipid bilayer nanodisc technology provides a unique potential for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based studies. This review summarizes the recent advances in this field, focusing on (i) the strengths of the system, (ii) the bottlenecks that may be faced, and (iii) promising capabilities that may be explored in future studies.