--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My idea right from the beginning, I…" description: "\"My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to dismantle the immune system one gene at a time so we could track the mutations that cause problems.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg" --- # My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to… ![“My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to dismantle the immune system one gene at a time so we could track the mutations that cause problems.” quote by Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg) > “My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to dismantle the immune system one gene at a time so we could track the mutations that cause problems.” [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His research aims to dismantle the immune system gene‑by‑gene to trace harmful mutations. **In simple terms:** Study immune genes to track mutations. Key Takeaway Use gene editing to map disease pathways. Themes science immunology genetics Mood scientific analytical Type research medical When to use this quote - lab work - clinical trials - biotech industry Key Concepts gene editing mutation tracking medical research Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of deconstructing immunity? - How can findings translate to therapies? A Different Perspective Ethical concerns about gene manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Immune system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immune-system/) [Mutations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutations/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If we think of the immune system as a machine, then we are far from even knowing all of its parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/if-we-think-of-the-immune-system-as-a-machine-then-we-are-far-from/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [Autoimmunity is probably the next frontier. The majority of cases of autoimmune disease result from a complex genetic problem that has environmental influences. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/autoimmunity-is-probably-the-next-frontier-the-majority-of-cases-of/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [How comes it to pass, if they be only moved by chance and accident, that such regular mutations and generations should be begotten by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smith/how-comes-it-to-pass-if-they-be-only-moved-by-chance-and-accident/) [John Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smith/) > [I was taught over and over again that the accumulation of random mutations led to evolutionary change - led to new species. I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/i-was-taught-over-and-over-again-that-the-accumulation-of-random/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [Life has survived for more than three billion years because it is robust, and almost no mutations can easily outwit the defense mechanisms built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/life-has-survived-for-more-than-three-billion-years-because-it-is/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“Evolution wasn’t a blueprint; it was a series of mistakes that occasionally turned out to be beneficial. And the doctor knew those were few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-c-currie/evolution-wasn-t-a-blueprint-it-was-a-series-of-mistakes-that/) [Evan C. Currie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-c-currie/) > [“New mutations don't create new species; they create offspring that are impaired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/new-mutations-don-t-create-new-species-they-create-offspring-that-are/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [“The bradys must hold that, on the average, cumulative selection has to add a little information to the genome at each step. But of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-spetner/the-bradys-must-hold-that-on-the-average-cumulative-selection-has-to/) [Lee Spetner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-spetner/) > [I think, with every kind of creature and every kind of human, there is no better. We're all just mutations, and I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/i-think-with-every-kind-of-creature-and-every-kind-of-human-there-is/) [Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/) > [A number of well-understood mechanisms, including single gene mutations, produce changes that qualify as macroevolution. These include heterochronic mutations that alter structures by changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/a-number-of-well-understood-mechanisms-including-single-gene/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [ After observing mutations in fruit flies for many years, Professes Goldschmidt fell into despair. The changes, he lamented, were so hopelessly micro \[insignificant\] that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-macbeth/after-observing-mutations-in-fruit-flies-for-many-years-professes/) [Norman Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-macbeth/) > [We find in the history of ideas mutations which do not seem to correspond to any obvious need, and at first sight appear as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/we-find-in-the-history-of-ideas-mutations-which-do-not-seem-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [The secrets of evolution are death and time-the deaths of enormous numbers of lifeforms that were imperfectly adapted to the environment; and time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-secrets-of-evolution-are-death-and-time-the-deaths-of-enormous/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Choose your mutations carefully...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/choose-your-mutations-carefully/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [If we didn't have genetic mutations, we wouldn't have us. You need error to open the door to the adjacent possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/if-we-didn-t-have-genetic-mutations-we-wouldn-t-have-us-you-need/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) ## More by Bruce Beutler > [In college, I had an early introduction to classical genetics from Professor Dan Lindsley, also an extraordinary teacher who influenced me greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/in-college-i-had-an-early-introduction-to-classical-genetics-from/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [Science is far from the center of the world for most people: even for many with highly sophisticated tastes, interests, and accomplishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/science-is-far-from-the-center-of-the-world-for-most-people-even-for/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [Autoimmunity is probably the next frontier. The majority of cases of autoimmune disease result from a complex genetic problem that has environmental influences. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/autoimmunity-is-probably-the-next-frontier-the-majority-of-cases-of/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [I felt I ought not to be wasting time, and I hurried to graduate from high school to enroll at UCSD. I also hurried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/i-felt-i-ought-not-to-be-wasting-time-and-i-hurried-to-graduate-from/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [The nicest part of the prize, perhaps, is the effect on my friends and family. Each of them feels proud and happy to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/the-nicest-part-of-the-prize-perhaps-is-the-effect-on-my-friends-and/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [If you really want to isolate a disease, then you have to isolate the people who carry it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/if-you-really-want-to-isolate-a-disease-then-you-have-to-isolate-the/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [If we think of the immune system as a machine, then we are far from even knowing all of its parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/if-we-think-of-the-immune-system-as-a-machine-then-we-are-far-from/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [People may have said that without symptoms, you can't transmit Ebola. I'm not sure about that being 100 percent true. There's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/people-may-have-said-that-without-symptoms-you-can-t-transmit-ebola-i/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [A mutation can create an alternative form of a phenomenon - a phenotype or trait - and we can learn a lot by seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/a-mutation-can-create-an-alternative-form-of-a-phenomenon-a-phenotype/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [Chance leads to discoveries, and mutagenesis is a way to enhance one's chances of finding a surprise. Often it is the exceptional observations that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/chance-leads-to-discoveries-and-mutagenesis-is-a-way-to-enhance-one-s/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) > [I grew up hoping that my father might win a Nobel Prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/i-grew-up-hoping-that-my-father-might-win-a-nobel-prize/) [Bruce Beutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) [Explore all 12 Bruce Beutler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to dismantle the immune system one gene at a time so we could track the mutations that cause problems.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Beutler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess-was-to-dismantle-the-immune/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beginning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess-was-to-dismantle-the-immune/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c7/bruce-beutler-36724_beginning_my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess_2709343.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My idea right from the beginning, I guess, was to dismantle the immune system one gene at a time so we could…” — Bruce Beutler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bruce Beutler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-beutler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My idea right from the beginning,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess-was-to-dismantle-the-immune/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-beutler/my-idea-right-from-the-beginning-i-guess-was-to-dismantle-the-immune/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```