--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, as the world's scientists focus with…" description: "\"Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing intensity on transforming the genetic codes of every living creature into information that can be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg" --- # Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing… ![“Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing intensity on transforming the genetic codes of every living creature into information that can be used to treat and ultimately prevent disease, Shenzhen is home to a different kind of factory: B.G.I., formerly called Beijing Genomics Institute…” quote by Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg) > “Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing intensity on transforming the genetic codes of every living creature into information that can be used to treat and ultimately prevent disease, Shenzhen is home to a different kind of factory: B.G.I., formerly called Beijing Genomics Institute, the world's largest genetic-research center.” [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes Shenzhen’s BGI as a massive biotech hub amid global genetic research boom. **In simple terms:** BGI is a leading genetic research center in Shenzhen. Key Takeaway Recognize biotech’s rapid expansion. Themes biotech genomics innovation Mood informative analytical Type scientific critical When to use this quote - academic research - industry partnerships - policy making - public health initiatives Key Concepts research infrastructure data ethics global health Questions to Reflect On - How should society regulate genetic research? - What safeguards are needed for data privacy? A Different Perspective Ethical concerns about genetic manipulation arise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beijing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/) [Beijing Genomics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing-genomics-5710359/) [Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/center/) [Codes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/codes/) [Creature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creature/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-kind/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Disease Shenzhen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-shenzhen-5710360/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Factory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factory/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Genetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic/) [Genomics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genomics/) [Genomics Institute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genomics-institute-3245344/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Increasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increasing/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Institute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institute/) [Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Largest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largest/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Prevent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prevent/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists/) [Transforming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transforming/) [Transforming Genetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transforming-genetic-5710361/) [Treat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treat/) [Ultimately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimately/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“I'd recently co-founded an institute in the Bay Area called the Innovative Genomics Institute (ICI) with the goal of advancing gene-editing technologies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-a-doudna/i-d-recently-co-founded-an-institute-in-the-bay-area-called-the/) [Jennifer A. Doudna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-a-doudna/) > [“The dirty little secret of genomics is that we still know next to nothing about how a genome translates into the particularities of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svante-p-bo/the-dirty-little-secret-of-genomics-is-that-we-still-know-next-to/) [Svante Pääbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svante-p-bo/) > [A Machine to Make a Future is an insightful and creative contribution to the literature--both scholarly and journalistic--on contemporary genomics. By 'experimenting' with narrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-abu-el-haj/a-machine-to-make-a-future-is-an-insightful-and-creative-contribution/) [Nadia Abu El Haj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-abu-el-haj/) > [When you think about it, caring for patients is 99 percent information and 1 percent intervention, so it's clear that with or without genomics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-g-chute/when-you-think-about-it-caring-for-patients-is-99-percent-information/) [Christopher G. Chute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-g-chute/) > [Now we have technology where we can modify the genomics of individuals by gene transfer and genetic meddling, we may find that people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/now-we-have-technology-where-we-can-modify-the-genomics-of/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [The genomics revolution, proteomics, metabolomics, all of these 'omics' that sound so terrific on grants and on business plans. What we're doing is we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-stock/the-genomics-revolution-proteomics-metabolomics-all-of-these-omics/) [Gregory Stock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-stock/) > [There has to be some more regulation. But our kids have this incredible buffet of they can work in genomics, they can work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/there-has-to-be-some-more-regulation-but-our-kids-have-this/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [“Far from being a homogenous "Big Science," biotechnology is highly diversified and heterogeneous. "The" human genome is not a single database, but a cluster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-kac/far-from-being-a-homogenous-big-science-biotechnology-is-highly/) [Eduardo Kac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-kac/) > [In the 1960s and '70s, there wasn't much evidence at all. We knew vaguely the causes of cancer, but methods like genomics were very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/in-the-1960s-and-70s-there-wasn-t-much-evidence-at-all-we-knew/) [Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/) > [It once seemed that the most profound feats stemming from DNA-based science would spring from our ability to read and detect genes, which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-gottlieb/it-once-seemed-that-the-most-profound-feats-stemming-from-dna-based/) [Scott Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-gottlieb/) > [We are still working with an incomplete compass. The time is right to bring the full power of genomics to bear on the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/we-are-still-working-with-an-incomplete-compass-the-time-is-right-to/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [From a genomic perspective, we are all Africans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svante-p-bo/from-a-genomic-perspective-we-are-all-africans/) [Svante Paabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svante-p-bo/) > [Like the early days of the Internet, the dawn of personal genomics promises benefits and pitfalls that no one can foresee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/like-the-early-days-of-the-internet-the-dawn-of-personal-genomics/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I...asked why purebloods despised me so. He replied, 'What if the difference between social strata stem not from genomics or inherent xcellence or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-asked-why-purebloods-despised-me-so-he-replied-what-if-the/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [In chemicals, Synthetic Genomics is one of my real loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/in-chemicals-synthetic-genomics-is-one-of-my-real-loves/) [Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/) ## More by Michael Specter > [There are always potential side effects for every vaccine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/there-are-always-potential-side-effects-for-every-vaccine/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Until the Nineteen-Eighties, when Deng Xiaoping designated the area as China's first special economic zone, Shenzhen had been a tiny fishing village. Suddenly, eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/until-the-nineteen-eighties-when-deng-xiaoping-designated-the-area-as/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [There are people who could watch a hurricane like Sandy blow out of the Atlantic every other day and blame it on anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/there-are-people-who-could-watch-a-hurricane-like-sandy-blow-out-of/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [We're lying ourselves into believing things are untrue, like organic food will solve all our problems, or vitamins will make us healthy, or we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/we-re-lying-ourselves-into-believing-things-are-untrue-like-organic/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [I started to write about science and medicine at the 'Washington Post,' in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/i-started-to-write-about-science-and-medicine-at-the-washington-post/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Clearly, some of the reason people embrace alternatives and reject vaccines is that they are angry and mistrustful of government and of pharmaceutical conglomerates.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/clearly-some-of-the-reason-people-embrace-alternatives-and-reject/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [The numbers matter: underreporting of Lyme disease obscures the true burden of the illnesses, on individuals as well as on health-care systems. It also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/the-numbers-matter-underreporting-of-lyme-disease-obscures-the-true/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [There is a major problem with reliance on placebos, like most vitamins and antioxidants. Everyone gets upset about Big Science, Big Pharma, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/there-is-a-major-problem-with-reliance-on-placebos-like-most-vitamins/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Denialist arguments are often bolstered by accurate information taken wildly out of context, wielded selectively, and supported by fake experts who often don't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/denialist-arguments-are-often-bolstered-by-accurate-information-taken/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Your dollar cheeseburger isn't a dollar if you factor in what it's going to cost in health care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/your-dollar-cheeseburger-isn-t-a-dollar-if-you-factor-in-what-it-s/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [To suggest that organic vegetables, which cost far more than conventional produce, can feed billions of people in parts of the world without roads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/to-suggest-that-organic-vegetables-which-cost-far-more-than/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [The history of agriculture is the history of humans breeding seeds and animals to produce traits we want in our crops and livestock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/the-history-of-agriculture-is-the-history-of-humans-breeding-seeds/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [With a hundred and seventy-eight machines to sequence the precise order of the billions of chemicals within a molecule of DNA, B.G.I. produces at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/with-a-hundred-and-seventy-eight-machines-to-sequence-the-precise/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Be sceptical, ask questions, demand proof. Demand evidence. Don't take anything for granted. But here's the thing: When you get proof, you need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/be-sceptical-ask-questions-demand-proof-demand-evidence-don-t-take/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Nobody celebrates when they avoid an illness they never expected to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/nobody-celebrates-when-they-avoid-an-illness-they-never-expected-to/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) [Explore all 79 Michael Specter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) ## More Beijing quotes > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I was born and raised in Vancouver. I moved to Beijing in 2010 just before the Olympics. Being an Asian Canadian actor, the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osric-chau/i-was-born-and-raised-in-vancouver-i-moved-to-beijing-in-2010-just/) [Osric Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osric-chau/) > [If you're in the movies and you haven't been to Beijing, you're kind of missing where things are really happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/if-you-re-in-the-movies-and-you-haven-t-been-to-beijing-you-re-kind/) [Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/) > [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [My Beijing jersey means more to me than any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephon-marbury/my-beijing-jersey-means-more-to-me-than-any-of-them/) [Stephon Marbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephon-marbury/) > [Team GB's success at the Beijing Olympics can, in part, be said to have been made in Manchester. For example, all the cycling medal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/team-gb-s-success-at-the-beijing-olympics-can-in-part-be-said-to-have/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [Beijing would indeed consider vetoing any American effort to sanction Iran at the Security Council.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-zhaoxing/beijing-would-indeed-consider-vetoing-any-american-effort-to-sanction/) [Li Zhaoxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-zhaoxing/) > [Space is about 100 kilometers away. That’s far away—I wouldn’t want to climb a ladder to get there—but it isn’t that far away. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/space-is-about-100-kilometers-away-that-s-far-away-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [I think the biggest thing was that I was putting pressure on myself leading up to Beijing. Now I am learning how to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-hall/i-think-the-biggest-thing-was-that-i-was-putting-pressure-on-myself/) [Ryan Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-hall/) > [My approach to gymnastics in Beijing was heavily based on the amount of difficulty I could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-johnson/my-approach-to-gymnastics-in-beijing-was-heavily-based-on-the-amount/) [Shawn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-johnson/) [Browse all 138 Beijing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing intensity on transforming the genetic codes of every living creature into information that can be used to treat and ultimately prevent disease, Shenzhen is home to a different kind of factory: B.G.I., formerly called Beijing Genomics Institute, the world's largest genetic-research center.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Specter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with-increasing-intensity-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beijing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with-increasing-intensity-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/michael-specter-8599_beijing_now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with_2348765.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now, as the world's scientists focus with increasing intensity on transforming the genetic codes of every…” — Michael Specter", "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": "Michael Specter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Now, as the world's scientists focus...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with-increasing-intensity-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/now-as-the-world-s-scientists-focus-with-increasing-intensity-on/#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 } } ] } ```