Interfaces : materials chemistry-biology-medicine

The evolution of mankind has always been closely linked to the development of the "science" of materials. The ages of stone and iron, of writing and its supports, of the steam engine, all had a strong influence on the way human societies lived. The 20th^century saw the birth of silicon technologies and the development of microelectronics, which generated and propelled information and communication technologies. The 21st^century is the century of nanomaterials, nanosciences and nanotechnologies. From now on, nanosciences and new materials will have to respond to the major challenges facing humanity, in particular those concerning energy, the environment, water and health. Solutions will have to be both environmentally friendly, humane and economically acceptable. Undoubtedly, successful management of the many interfaces between materials science and energy, the environment, health and communication technologies is crucial to the success of the major societal challenges we face. In this context, the creation of a set of lectures illustrating the interfaces between materials science, biology and medicine seemed to me to be timely for two main reasons. One, pragmatic, is associated with the important need to find optimum solutions for the detection and effective treatment of serious diseases. The other, more idealistic, is associated with the support and flourishing of the school of thought that germinated at the end of the last century and which concerns biomimetic and bio-inspired approaches associated with an analysis of systems in their entirety.