Biology is a Burrito (& Other Essays)
A text- and visual-based journey through a living cell. Learn about the speeds and sizes of molecules and systems, from protein folding to the Central Dogma. By Niko McCarty Get essays delivered to your email. Unsubscribe any time. How fast, how accurate, what limits it. RNA polymerase rates, error rates, regulation. Levinthal's paradox, folding rates, single-molecule experiments. Stochastic gene expression, why low copy numbers matter. Where ATP goes, how it is made, the cost of living. There's always a mechanism. What we've learned, what remains — and where biology ought to go from here. Written by Niko McCarty. Dedicated to Rob Phillips. Supported by Astera Institute (2026).
An Interactive Book A text- and visual-based journey through a living cell. Learn about the speeds and sizes of molecules and systems, from protein folding to the Central Dogma. A View of the Cell Prologue Soon Recipe for a Cell Soon Building Blocks How to Measure Molecules Soon DNA as Material Soon RNA and its Roles Soon Protein as Material Soon Protein Folding and Forms; Fast Switching Soon Lipid Membrane and Its Components Soon The Central Dogma Replication Soon Transcription Soon The Ribosome Soon Noise Soon Machines ATP Synthase Soon Atomic-Scale Protein…
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