Wisdom from Scientific Pioneers

"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world."

"We have discovered the secret of life."

Upon discovering the double helix structure of DNA with James Watson in 1953

"Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated."

"The brain is the last and grandest biological frontier... the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe."

"We have the ability to edit genomes. Now we have to figure out how to use that ability wisely."

"CRISPR technology opens up completely new opportunities for medicine, agriculture, and biological research."

"We are going from reading our genetic code to the ability to write it. That gives us the hypothetical ability to do things never contemplated before."

"Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes. Think of them as the plastic tips on shoelaces—without them, the laces unravel."

"When I saw the embryo, I suddenly realized there was such a small difference between it and my daughters... I thought, we can't keep destroying embryos for our research. There must be another way."

"Scientific research is one of the most exciting and rewarding of occupations."

"Science consistently produces a new crop of miraculous truths and dazzling devices every year."

"Progress in science depends on new techniques, new discoveries, and new ideas, probably in that order."

"Above all, don't fear difficult moments. The best comes from them."

"Biotechnology is a field where the fusion of biology and technology creates opportunities to address major challenges in health and agriculture."

"The greatest excitement in science comes at the moment of discovery—when suddenly the pieces fall into place."

"We're moving from reading the genome to writing it, from observing nature to engineering it."