Biological physics--origin and perspectives.

Biology and Physics share common ancestors. The two sciences have drifted apart during the last century, although they have often mutually fertilized each other. Often the discovery of a new physical method has triggered dramatic progresses in biology but there are also numerous examples of biology-inspired new developments in physics. In this special issue of ChemPhysChem, various facets and new developments of the interface between physics and biology are pointed out.