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)
Failure is part of the process.
You learn more from your failures than your successes.
The most exciting discoveries are often unexpected.
Keep an open mind.
The future of chemistry is in biology.
We can use biology to make chemicals in a more sustainable way.
This is just the beginning of what directed evolution can do.
I'm an engineer, and I like to build things.
The Nobel Prize is a wonderful recognition, but the real reward is the science itself.
It's about the joy of discovery.
We need more women in science.
It's important to have diverse perspectives.
Science is a team sport.
I'm incredibly grateful to my students and collaborators.
The biggest challenge is often just getting started.
Don't be intimidated by big problems.
Break them down into smaller, manageable pieces.
The universe is full of amazing things waiting to be discovered.
We're just scratching the surface of what's possible.
My goal is to make the world a better place.
Contemporaries of Frances Arnold
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Frances Arnold (1956).