What is life? For biochemist Gyula Dékány, the answer is clear: a chemical information system. This obsession has driven him across two decades and several continents toward a breakthrough within reach — the synthesis of a compound with the potential to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Gyula is a dedicated scientist and biotech entrepreneur, and his journey to help thousands of patients — marked by grant battles, investor pressures, and global crises — confronts us with the challenges facing research today.