Benefits of an inclusive US education system.

Presented is a historical perspective of one scientist's journey from war-torn Europe to the opportunities presented by a flexible US educational system. It celebrates the opening of the science establishment that began in the 1950s and its fostering of basic research, and recognizes individuals who were instrumental in guiding the author's education as well as those with whom she later participated in collaborative algal plant research. The initial discovery and later elucidation of phycobilisome structure are elaborated, including the structural connection with photosystem II. Furthermore, she summarizes some of her laboratory's results on carotenoids and its exploration of the isoprenoid pathway in cyanobacteria. Finally, she comments on the gender gap and how her generation benefited when opportunities for women scientists were enlarged.