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 most important thing is to have fun with what you do.
We're building a new toolkit for chemistry.
The possibilities are endless when you embrace evolution.
I'm a firm believer in the power of interdisciplinary research.
We're making chemistry greener and more efficient.
The biggest breakthroughs come from challenging conventional wisdom.
My work is about pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
We're using evolution to create a more sustainable world.
The future belongs to those who are willing to experiment.
I'm excited about the next generation of scientists who will take this work even further.
Nature is the greatest chemist of all, but we can learn from her and do even better.
Directed evolution is like breeding dogs, but for enzymes—fast and efficient.
Science is not about being right; it's about being less wrong over time.
The beauty of evolution is its simplicity and power; we just harness it.
Failure is the fuel for innovation in the lab and in life.
Enzymes are tiny machines that make the world work; we tweak them to make it better.
Diversity in science isn't just nice; it's necessary for breakthroughs.
I never set out to win a Nobel; I set out to solve problems.
Evolution doesn't care about perfection; it cares about what works.
In engineering biology, patience is key, but persistence is everything.
Contemporaries of Frances Arnold
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Frances Arnold (1956).