Introduction

Abstract

This special issue of Biopolymers is dedicated to Professor Lelio Mazzarella on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It is a great pleasure for us to act as Guest Editors of this special issue. We have had the good fortune to know and collaborate with Lelio for many years, benefiting enormously from his stimulating and enthusiastic discussions. The articles in this issue testify the many friends Lelio has made in the scientific world over the years and reflect his interest and contributions to structural biology. Most of the articles included in this issue are products of the research of friends and former students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators of Lelio, many of whom attended a Symposium organized on 28th October 2008 at the University Federico II of Naples to celebrate his 70th birthday and honor his almost 50 years of scientific activity. Lelio's distinguished career has been mainly focussed in the field of protein crystallography, starting at a time when there were only very few laboratories in the world dedicated to this field. The Symposium consisted of one day of talks and discussion devoted to, or inspired by, Lelio's work and ideas. The attendees and speakers were Lelio's current and former students, colleagues, collaborators, and many others who have been connected with his work. The talks, discussion, and papers attest to the fact that Lelio's pioneering ideas have found fertile ground in a wide variety of disciplines. The breadth of topics represented in this Festschrift is a testimony to Professor Mazzarella's wide and deep research interests and also reflects his influence on the scientific community. The issue includes 25 contributions, bringing together reviews and original research articles covering not only the two thematic categories, ribonucleases (section 1) and hemoglobins (section 2), which represent Lelio's principal research lines, but also a wide range of scientific interests in which his former and current colleagues are presently working (section 3). We would like to thank all the people who have made this project possible, especially the authors who have contributed to this special issue. We are particularly grateful to Antonello Merlino and Alessandro Vergara for their help in organizing and facilitating this celebration of Lelio's accomplishments. Through the Symposium and the resulting Festschrift, we thank Lelio Mazzarella for his years of generous, wise advice to us and to his many other students and colleagues. Everyone who has met Lelio shares our appreciation for his stimulating personality and our gratitude to a man who has always been so inspiring, enthusiastic, and encouraging.