Frances Arnold
She was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work on directed evolution, creating new enzymes.
Most quoted
"I tell my students, 'If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.' And then I tell them, 'But don't fail *too* much, because then you won't get a grant.'"
— from Interview/Talk
"The beauty of directed evolution is that it doesn't require us to understand everything about biology. It just requires us to be good at setting up experiments."
— from Scientific American interview
"The most beautiful, complex, and functional objects on the planet have been made by evolution. We can use it to make things that no human knows how to design."
— from Speech
All quotes by Frances Arnold (425)
The journey of scientific discovery is a marathon, not a sprint.
My work is a testament to the fact that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it.
The joy of seeing an enzyme perform a new trick is truly unparalleled.
We are learning from nature, and then improving upon it.
The world needs more scientists, more problem-solvers, more dreamers.
My biggest regret would be not trying something new, not pushing the boundaries.
The beauty of directed evolution lies in its simplicity and its profound power.
I am a firm believer that science should be accessible to everyone.
Every day in the lab is an adventure, a chance to uncover something new.
Evolution is the best engineer.
We're not designing, we're evolving.
Directed evolution is a way to make better proteins, better enzymes, better organisms.
Nature has been doing directed evolution for billions of years.
The beauty of directed evolution is that you don't have to be smart.
You just have to be patient and let nature do its work.
We're just accelerating what nature already does.
My work is about making things that are useful.
I want to solve problems that matter.
It's about imagining what could be.
Don't be afraid to try new things.
Contemporaries of Frances Arnold
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Frances Arnold (1956).