β-barrel proteins dictate the effect of core oligosaccharide composition on outer membrane mechanics.

. One role of the outer membrane is to block the uptake of small molecules like antibiotics. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that it also functions as a structural exoskeleton that is critical for the cell's ability to cope with internal and external mechanical forces. Here, we carefully dissect the molecular basis for the load-bearing capacity of the outer membrane by screening a set of mutants with a new cell biophysics assay.