diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8c6e046e5..07922de9d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,16 +5,7 @@
 [![Gitter chat](https://badges.gitter.im/biosustain/cameo.png)](https://gitter.im/biosustain/cameo)
 
 ### Vision
-Provide a high-level python library to aid the strain design efforts of the CFB iLoop design group. The library provides a modular architecture that enables the efficient construction of custom analysis workflows.
-
-### Design
-
-**No more copying** making copies of models is expensive, stick to the [_command pattern_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_pattern) using TimeMachine (util.py)
-**Database**: no more flatfiles ...
-**Caching**: optimization results are cached
-**Parallelization**: parallelize algorithms
-**Long-running jobs**: hide paralellization
-**Wrap third party tools**: for example [fast-tFVA](http://bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/7/903)
+Provide a high-level python library to aid _in silico_ strain design process in metabolic engineering projects. The library provides a modular architecture that enables the efficient construction of custom analysis workflows.
 
 ### Dependencies
 This library dependes on
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 349c08fd9..bcd91502f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@
     'git+https://github.com/biosustain/ipython_notebook_utils.git@master#egg=ipython_notebook_utils'
 ]
 
+# from https://coderwall.com/p/qawuyq
+try:
+    import pypandoc
+
+    description = pypandoc.convert('README.md', 'rst')
+except (IOError, ImportError):
+    description = ''
 
 setup(
     name='cameo',
@@ -39,7 +46,7 @@
     license='Apache License Version 2.0',
     keywords='biology metabolism bioinformatics',
     url='TBD',
-    long_description=open('README.md').read(),
+    long_description=description,
     classifiers=[
         'Development Status :: 3 - Alpha',
         'Topic :: Utilities',