Opinions of the usefulness of liposomes in various biotechnological applications range from unsubstantiated optimism to undeserved pessimism. This article reviews the background and development of liposomes, describes products that are commercially available and speculates optimistically about some future applications. The current deepening and widening of interest in liposomes in many scientific disciplines, and their application in medicine, immunology, diagnostics, cosmetics, ecology, cleansing and the food industry are promising novel breakthroughs and products.