Prof. Michel Morange has PhD degrees in both molecular biology and in the history and philosophy of sciences. As a prolific author, he has described the evolution of molecular biology from the convergence of genetics and biochemistry in the middle-1900’s to sophisticated computational analyses that have become the features of systems biology.  His unique position and expertise enable him to address the age-old question “What is life?”, particularly in the era and context of synthetic biology and genomic medicine.