The aim of this special issue is to present a dedicated overview of the study of lipid domains in different membrane model systems (Langmuir films, planar bilayers, giant unilamellar vesicles) including cellular membranes. The articles included in this special issue range from perspectives and reviews to original results on the structure and dynamics of lipid domains. They also address relevant methodological aspects such as preparation methods for model membranes, novel strategies using particular microscopy-based experimental techniques, and novel image analysis approaches. I hope that this material may inspire new studies on relevant aspects of membrane domains and in particular, stimulate critical discussions regarding the still controversial functional implications of lipid-mediated compartmentalization in biological membranes. I want to take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge the enthusiasm and commitment of the contributing authors, reviewers and the invaluable help of the Elsevier staff.
Luis A. Bagatolli obtained his MSc (1991) and PhD degree (1995) from the School of Chemical Sciences at the University of Córdoba in Argentina. After a postdoctoral research period at the Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamic, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA (1997-2000), and a brief stay in Argentina as a researcher of the Argentinian National research council (INIBIBB-CONICET and CIQUIBIC-CONICET; 2000-2002), he joined MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Odense, Denmark (2002). His current research interests are basic biophysical aspects of membrane related phenomena (model and biological membranes) and development and applications of biophotonic related techniques (i.e. multiphoton excitation microscopy-based techniques) on complex biological systems (e.g. human skin tissue, lung surfactant membranes). At present, he is the leader of the “Membrane Biophysics and Biophotonics group” at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SDU, Odense, Denmark), where he is a professor, and associated staff at MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics. Currently, he is also joint director of the Danish Molecular Bioimaging Center (DaMBIC) and associated staff in the Lundbeck NanoCAN center (both located at SDU, Odense, Denmark).
