Quantitative Approaches in the Life Sciences

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the history and impact of interdisciplinary research in the life sciences, with a focus on quantitative approaches. It examines the evolution of science as a profession and the role of interdisciplinary collaborations in the formation of disciplines. Examples include the use of cybernetics to study control systems in living organisms, the role of physics in the development of molecular biology, and the integration of mathematics and technology in the development of electrophysiology. The chapter discusses how interdisciplinary fields (such as biophysics and molecular biology) eventually became self-contained domains, resulting in a loss of cross-disciplinary exchange. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinarity in fostering breakthrough discoveries. Finally, mathematical endocrinology is presented as a current and influential interdisciplinary research field.