Abstract

The Nobel Prizes in Medicine won by scientists such as Francis Crick, Tadeusz Reichstein, Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield are a clear demonstration that some of the most important innovations in medical technology come from the ideas and efforts of scientists with a physical sciences background. The interest of physicists, chemists and materials scientists for life sciences and medical applications in particular has always been there, but there have never been as many opportunities in these fields as there are today.