As we mentioned, Ochre Bio is named after one of our heroes: the late Nobel laureate, Sydney Brenner. During a long and successful career, the distinguished biologist discovered the three types of stop codons in genetic code: Amber, Opal/Umber, and Ochre. Sure, we could have gone for any of these, but none roll off the tongue quite like Ochre Bio, where we share the same firm belief as Brenner in the value of pragmatism, creativity and innovation in science.
Here’s one of our favourite Sydney Brenner quotes, which attests to these qualities:
“Progress in science depends on new techniques, new discoveries and new ideas, probably in that order. Innovation comes only from an assault on the unknown. I think one of the things about creativity is not to be afraid of saying the wrong thing.”
We’re certain this same belief will determine our progress towards meaningful medicines, a journey on which we live by three laws: Clarke’s, Murphy’s, and Wheaton’s.
Clarke’s Law
Author Arthur C. Clarke (who is perhaps best known for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he helped Stanley Kubrick adapt for the screen) developed three catchy laws on the nature of tech and discovery. The third and most widely quoted of these, is:
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
This observation, often simply referred to as Clarke’s Law (but not to be confused with his first, expressly designated as Clarke's Law at the time of writing), shows us we must strive for the most advanced scientific ambition in everything we do!
#ambition
Murphy’s Law
There exist a few theories on where Murphy’s Law originated, but wherever the adage came from, it holds that:
“What can go wrong, will go wrong.”
One of our team once said that biotech is “basically a set of small fires that need to be extinguished, and that’s just the journey.” So very true! We’ll give a pound to any scientist in the field who can honestly argue that Murphy’s Law doesn’t apply to them - a promise we’re positive won’t drain the company coffers any time soon!
At first glance, Murphy’s Law may seem incredibly pessimistic, but it’s really all about the ability to adapt to disruptions while operating at full capacity. Resilience is critical for the journey!
#resilience
Wheaton’s Law
Wheaton’s Law, shared by actor Wil Wheaton at a gaming festival in 2007, is simple - and probably a little more colourful than our usual comms. Apologies to our grandparents as we say that the rule is:
“Don’t be a dick!”
In fact, the axiom is so simple that we’d love to end this section right here, but for the sake of context, we shan't. Wheaton developed it while playing video games online, often against mouthy teens whose religion is cheek rather than sportsmanship.
The rule applies to everyone, including scientists - that’s why it later cropped up on Big Bang Theory, where Wheaton ironically plays Sheldon’s nemesis, an odious version of himself. There are loathsome individuals in all corners of science, but we’re determined to make sure Ochre is the exception. The days are hard enough,so let's be kind to one another!
