The idea that I could push the envelope using dedication and research and endless curiosity has propelled me in my life's work.

I got into science because I thought that, with inspiration and hard work, I could figure out how life works.

It is common, and encouraged by many journals, for research to be judged by the impact factor of the journal that publishes it. But as a journal's score is an average, it says little about the quality of any individual piece of research.

The prevailing structures of personal reputation and career advancement mean the biggest rewards often follow the flashiest work, not the best.

Just as Wall Street needs to break the hold of the bonus culture, which drives risk-taking that is rational for individuals but damaging to the financial system, so science must break the tyranny of the luxury journals. The result will be better research that better serves science and society.

Our cells engage in protein production, and many of those proteins are enzymes responsible for the chemistry of life.