The Genesis Machine Quotes

“For example, a polypeptide chain with more than a hundred amino acids is considered a protein. There are more possible sequences in that tiny chain than there are atoms in the observable universe.”
― Amy Webb, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology

“Cells are trickier to program than a typical computer, in part because we don’t have a complete understanding of the cell’s machinery, and in part because biology is a water-based technology. This makes it different from technologies that are based on, say, silicon chips and electronics, where electrons whiz around on fixed paths while precise, high-speed switches control the flow. The cell is a vat of soup containing thousands of different molecules, and they are all constantly jiggling around and interacting, but moving very slowly compared to zippy electrons. Cellular processes and code aren’t completely random, but they aren’t linear and logical, either, which makes it difficult to predict exactly how any given biological system will behave. Cells and their components don’t come with owners’ manuals—they lack standards or specifications that would normally help an engineer build a device.”
― Amy Webb, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology

“All of which is keeping existing companies that support the infrastructure of the bioeconomy busy: hardware manufacturers that make synthesizing machines, robots, and assemblers; wetware companies, which sell the DNA, enzymes, proteins, and cells; and software companies that make special tools, like Photoshop, but for biology.”
― Amy Webb, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology