Toward Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Electrochemistry and Physiology: Status Quo, Challenges, and Prospects

Abstract

Interdisciplinary collaboration among various fields is essential for advancements in science. In medicine, innovative approaches created through the collaboration are required for the analysis of mechanisms underlying complicated biological events as well as the development of therapies for various diseases in a super-aging society. ‘Physiology’ is a fundamental field in medicine—physiologists intend to ask what a ‘living’ organism is and seek to understand the functions and roles of its constituents, organs and cells. The observations obtained in physiological studies contribute to the elucidation of pathological processes and drug discovery. Historically, a variety of biosensors fabricated on the basis of the principles of electrochemistry have been used in physiological experiments. To develop innovative technologies and explore new scientific fields, The Physiological Society of Japan is set to collaborate with The Electrochemical Society of Japan. In this article, I summarize the research direction of physiology and discuss the challenges in and prospects for the interdisciplinary collaboration between the two scientific communities.

Keywords

• electrochemistry
• physiology
• interdisciplinary collaboration
• sensors