François Jacob
A molecular biologist who, with Jacques Monod, discovered the operon model of gene regulation, explaining how genes are turned on and off.
Most quoted
"A theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations."
— from Attributed
"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."
— from The Logic of Life: A History of Heredity
"The dream of the biologist is to understand the living world, to grasp its essence, to unravel its secrets. But the living world is not a simple mechanism; it is a history."
— from La logique du vivant, une histoire de l'hérédité, 1970
All quotes by François Jacob (362)
Evolution favors the flexible.
The mind of a scientist must remain open like a flower to the sun.
Bacteria taught us the secrets of life.
Time in biology is measured in generations, not years.
Discovery comes to those who persist.
Life's logic is written in DNA.
The unknown is the fuel of science.
Regulation is the art of life's orchestra.
In evolution, every solution is temporary.
The lab is where dreams meet reality.
Genes don't dictate; they suggest.
Biology reveals the interconnectedness of all things.
Chance encounters shape history, in cells and societies.
The Nobel was a surprise, like finding a new gene.
Life adapts, or it perishes.
Curiosity is the scientist's compass.
In the end, biology is about survival.
The tinkerer of evolution never discards old parts.
Science progresses one question at a time.
My last words? Keep questioning the living world.
Contemporaries of François Jacob
Other Biologys born within 50 years of François Jacob (1920–2013).