def make_quippy_config(config):
    """Generate the quippy descriptor argument string."""

    # doing this here to make the f-string slightly less horrible
    cutoff = config["cutoff"]
    l_max = config["l_max"]
    n_max = config["n_max"]
    sigma = config["sigma"]
    elems = config["elems"]

    species = " ".join(map(str, elems))
    quippy_config = f"soap cutoff={cutoff} l_max={l_max} n_max={n_max} atom_sigma={sigma} n_Z={len(elems)} Z={{{species}}} n_species={len(elems)} species_Z={{{species}}}"

    return quippy_config