Biology Quote by Frances Arnold
“My whole interest is, how do you use evolution as an innovation engine? How does evolution solve new problems that life faces? And to have a system that can create a whole new chemical bond that biology hasn't done before, to me, demonstrates the power of nature to innovate.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Nobel Lecture, Frances Arnold, 2018
Evolution can be harnessed as a design tool, letting natural selection generate novel solutions like new chemical bonds.
In simple terms: Nature’s process can be used to innovate.
Apply directed evolution to engineering challenges.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- drug discovery
- material design
- industrial catalysis
- environmental remediation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance randomness with goal‑directed constraints?
- What ethical considerations arise when creating novel biochemicals?
Evolutionary methods may be slower and less predictable than rational design.