Project
Inter- and transdisciplinarity in the study of the cell in biology. The concept of the cell as a complex and interdisciplinary subject
My contribution starts from a remark: although the concept of the cell is ubiquitous in the life sciences, its study as a complex object tends to be either subordinated to other levels of analysis or fragmented across disciplines. Thus, while several disciplines consider cells as sites of gene expression or as one level of organization among others, which approaches seek to grasp their complexity? What place does interdisciplinarity occupy in this endeavor? Conversely, what conceptualization of interdisciplinarity do these practices entail, both in research and in teaching?
Bio
I am interested in the conceptual history and epistemological issues surrounding the notion of the cell in biology. In particular, I co-edited, with S. Caianiello, Approches épistémologiques et historiques des systèmes complexes (Matériologiques), to which I contributed a chapter entitled “La complexité en regard de la simplicité.” My academic background has given me the opportunity to engage with researchers in both theoretical and experimental biology, as well as in medicine. This experience has allowed me to reflect both on how biological complexity is apprehended in models and on interdisciplinary practices.
