great passage from Oliver Morton's new photosynthesis book

"When our knowledge of life's most fundamental processes allows us to begin redesigning and embellishing them rather than just studying them, a whole range of new chemical technologies will become possible." Treehugger.com book review

random neologism: molecular gardening

definition: A form of do-it-yourself (DIY) biology done as a pastime for personal, non-commercial applications. One might keep a molecular garden (e.g., a Petri dish) next to houseplant on the windowsill to provide power to small personal electronics, cultivate glowing bacteria as a zero-carbon nightlight, or as a creative biodesign piece.