I thought to myself: What are the most important problems that society faces that I could contribute to? And it was clear that finding new sustainable sources of energy was the most important.
Frances ArnoldRead
Inside of a living cell there are thousands of proteins that enable it to make more of itself and make your malaria drug, for instance. We don't understand those. We don't understand how they work together.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the complexity of cellular mechanisms, particularly in the context of drug production.
Frances Arnold emphasizes the intricate processes within living cells, particularly the role of proteins in reproduction and drug synthesis. She points out our limited understanding of these biological systems, which speaks to both the marvel of cellular function and the challenges scientists face in fully grasping these mechanisms, particularly as they relate to important medical advancements like malaria treatment.
Themes
CellsProteinsComplexityMalariaUnderstandingScience
In practice
Example use cases
In a biology class while discussing cellular functions.
More from Frances Arnold
All quotes →I see a future in which nature gives us a helping hand. Instead of destroying the natural world, why can't we use it to solve the kinds of problems that we are facing?
Frances ArnoldRead
The DNA-encoded catalytic machinery of the cell can rapidly learn to promote new chemical reactions when we provide new reagents and the appropriate incentive in the form of artificial selection.
Frances ArnoldRead
My whole interest is, how do you use evolution as an innovation engine? How does evolution solve new problems that life faces? And to have a system that can create a whole new chemical bond that biology hasn't done before, to me, demonstrates the power of nature to innovate.
Frances ArnoldRead
Most innovative things are not obvious to other people at the time. You have to believe in yourself. If you've got a good idea, follow it even though others tell you it's not.
Frances ArnoldRead
We've been modifying the biological world at the level of DNA for thousands of years. Somehow there is this new fear of what we already have been doing and that fear has limited our ability to provide real solutions.
Frances ArnoldRead
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