Giant vesicles are widely used as a model membrane system, both for basic biological systems and for their promising applications in the development of smart materials and cell mimetics, as well as in driving new technologies in synthetic biology and for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. The reader is guided to use giant vesicles, from the formation of simple membrane platforms to advanced membrane and cell system models. It also includes fundamentals for understanding lipid or polymer membrane structure, properties and behavior. Every chapter includes ideas for further applications and discussions on the implications of the observed phenomena towards understanding membrane-related processes. The Giant Vesicle Book is meant to be a road companion, a trusted guide for those making their first steps in this field as well as a source of information required by experts.
Key Features
- A complete summary of the field, covering fundamental concepts, practicalmethods, core theory, and the most promising applications
- A start-up package of theoretical and experimental information for newcomers in the field
- Extensive protocols for establishing the required preparations and assays
- Tips and instructions for carefully performing and interpreting measurements with giant vesicles or for observing them, including pitfalls
- Approaches developed for investigating giant vesicles as well as brief overviews of previous studies implementing the described techniques
- Handy tables with data and structures for ready reference
Key Features
- A complete summary of the field, covering fundamental concepts, practicalmethods, core theory, and the most promising applications
- A start-up package of theoretical and experimental information for newcomers in the field
- Extensive protocols for establishing the required preparations and assays
- Tips and instructions for carefully performing and interpreting measurements with giant vesicles or for observing them, including pitfalls
- Approaches developed for investigating giant vesicles as well as brief overviews of previous studies implementing the described techniques
- Handy tables with data and structures for ready reference
"Giant vesicles are artificial membrane systems used in basic biological research, applied research on smart materials, and medical and pharmaceutical applications. This massive volume provides a collection of 30 review articles, each an independent chapter, on this important topic. Editors Dimova (Max Planck Institute) and Marques (French National Centre for Scientific Research) are experts in the field, and the contributors represent an international group, with the majority of authors hailing from European countries. The chapters cover a diverse array of topics, including biophysics, cell and molecular biology, and physical chemistry. Because biophysics is a consideration, many chapters feature detailed mathematical treatments. The early part of the book provides a good summary of the field and its fundamental concepts. The articles are well referenced, drawing from the primary literature, and most include citations up to 2018. The book is beautifully illustrated with nice figures and callout boxes that highlight important protocols-some parts of the book resemble an advanced textbook. Chapter 4 (on the cytoskeleton) and chapter 10 (on light microscopy) were particularly informative to this reviewer. Chapters 15 and 19 provide web links to videos illustrating important concepts in vesicle dynamics. Several appendixes on topics such as membrane dyes and detergents are included."
-J. Z. Kiss, UNC-Greensboro, in CHOICE November 2020
-J. Z. Kiss, UNC-Greensboro, in CHOICE November 2020