Biophysics as a whole is science facing an enormous and at the same time breathtaking task: to unravel the mechanisms that govern life itself. We want to find the physical processes that make the biological ones possible (and therefore inevitable), which may of course in turn lead to new physics. To do this we use the time-honoured way of the physicist by translating observations into mathematical models, which means we can invoke not only the power of physics but that of mathematics as well. The combination of these three fields is a challenge in itself, and moreover gives possibilities that are completely beyond reach if one of them is left out. The study of membranes is an example where the contributions of these three branches of science are clearly visible. In the cell membranes play many important roles - primarily as barriers, but they are also vital in processes such as transport, distribution and signaling. Physics provides us with the basic rules all these membranes, regardless of their specifics, must satisfy, and can also refine them based on local circumstances. In mathematics the complete field of differentail geometry studies the properties of exactly these kind of objects. This approach - combining the resources of fields previously strictly separated - is what makes biophysics such an inspiring and ever amazing field to work in.
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