Lopez et al26,31 first demonstrated, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics, that small-diameter CNTs ~1.3 nm in diameter, 3 nm in length, and functionalized with hydrophilic termini, can spontaneously insert into and align across a lipid bilayer. Their nanopores are terminated at each end with generic hydrophilic units constructed from coarse-grain water sites. The hydrophilic ends are crucial to stability, because close matching to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains of the bilayer is necessary to avoid pore blocking.26,31 Insertion of a purely hydrophobic NT results in the NT remaining in the hydrophobic core of the bilayer, parallel to the bilayer plane.31 Lopez et al observe a lipid-assisted mechanism for the passive insertion of these hydrophilic-terminated CNTs, as shown in Figure 1. An animation of the lipid-assisted mechanism is available as supplementary information in Lopez et al.