so we’re looking at something in the order of 5x more energy for pair of carbons than for putting single aminoacid in protein, and aminoacids are much larger. (some 70kJ/mol per ATP -> AMP + 2Pi), and that’s including everything around protein synthesis except aminoacid synthesis, compared to just deposition of carbons (that’s without picking them up?), and it’s when you have clean prepared surface, in real life this also takes some considerable energy