To read GEN’s 40th anniversary issue is to reflect upon the past and look at the potential future of the biotech industry. Something akin to gazing upon a starry sky. GEN was honored to have 73 scientific or business luminaries—sometimes both and a few already legends!—share their commentaries on biotech’s triumphs and opportunities. Each luminary has a chance to shine both individually and as part of the dynamic life science universe. As our luminaries explain, biology and technology and business came together, coalesced, and released pent-up energies to create the new world we call biotechnology, comprising translational science, drug development, and biomanufacturing, as well as all the “omes” (genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes, microbiomes, and others). Let’s all read about what wonders might await in this exciting and promising new world.