Emma Teeling: The secret of the bat genome

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

Prevodilac: Olivera Uzelac Lektor: Mile Živković

What I want you all to do right now

Ono što hoću od svih vas sada

is to think of this mammal that I'm going to describe to you.

je da pogodite kojeg sisara opisujem.

The first thing I'm going to tell you about this mammal

Prva stvar koju ću reći u vezi sa ovim sisarem

is that it is essential for our ecosystems to function correctly.

je da je on neophodan kako bi naši ekosistemi normalno funkcionisali.

If we remove this mammal from our ecosystems,

Ako ga uklonimo iz naših ekosistema,

they simply will not work.

oni jednostavno više neće funkcionisati.

That's the first thing.

To je prva stvar.

The second thing is that due to the unique sensory abilities

Druga stvar je da nam ovaj sisar

of this mammal, if we study this mammal,

i proučavanje njegovih jedinstvenih čulnih sposobnosti,

we're going to get great insight into our diseases

mogu dati dobar uvid u naše bolesti čula

of the senses, such as blindness and deafness.

kao što su slepilo i gluvoća.

And the third really intriguing aspect of this mammal

I treća zaista fascinantna stvar u vezi sa ovim sisarem

is that I fully believe that the secret of everlasting youth

je da duboko verujem da se tajna večne mladosti

lies deep within its DNA.

nalazi duboko unutar njegovog DNK.

So are you all thinking?

Je l' možete da pretpostavite?

So,

Pa,

magnificent creature, isn't it?

neverovatno stvorenje, zar ne?

Who here thought of a bat?

Ko je ovde pomislio na slepog miša?

Ah, I can see half the audience agrees with me,

Mogu da vidim da se pola publike slaže sa mnom

and I have a lot of work to do to convince the rest of you.

i da me očekuje puno posla da i ostatak ubedim u to.

So I have had the good fortune for the past 20 years

Imala sam puno sreće da poslednjih 20 godina

to study these fascinating and beautiful mammals.

proučavam ove fascinantne i prelepe sisare.

One fifth of all living mammals is a bat,

Slepi miševi predstavljaju jednu petinu svih živih sisara

and they have very unique attributes.

i imaju veoma jedinstvene osobine.

Bats as we know them have been around on this planet

Slepi miševi, kakve poznajemo, su na ovoj planeti

for about 64 million years.

oko 64 miliona godina.

One of the most unique things that bats do

Jedna od jedinstvenih stvari koju oni mogu

as a mammal is that they fly.

kao sisari, je letenje.

Now flight is an inherently difficult thing.

Ali let je prirodno teška stvar.

Flight within vertebrates has only evolved three times:

Kod kičmenjaka let je evoluirao samo tri puta:

once in the bats, once in the birds,

jednom kod slepih miševa, jednom kod ptica

and once in the pterodactyls.

i jednom kod pterodaktila.

And so with flight, it's very metabolically costly.

Let zahteva veliki utrošak energije.

Bats have learned and evolved how to deal with this.

Slepi miševi su evoluirali i naučili kako da se nose sa tim.

But one other extremely unique thing about bats

Ali još jedna, stvarno jedinstvena stvar kod slepih miševa

is that they are able to use sound

je njihova sposobnost da koriste zvuk

to perceive their environment. They use echolocation.

za opažanje svoje okoline. Oni koriste eholokaciju.

Now, what I mean by echolocation --

Šta tačno podrazumevam sa eholokacijom -

they emit a sound from their larynx out through their mouth

oni emituju zvuk iz svojih grkljana, kroz usta

or through their nose. This sound wave comes out

ili kroz nos. Ovaj zvučni talas onda izlazi,

and it reflects and echoes back off objects in their environment,

odjekuje i odbija se od objekata u njihovoj okolini.

and the bats then hear these echoes

Slepi miševi onda čuju ove odjeke

and they turn this information into an acoustic image.

i pretvaraju ove informacije u zvučnu sliku.

And this enables them to orient in complete darkness.

Ovo im pomaže da se orijentišu u potpunom mraku.

Indeed, they do look very strange. We're humans.

Oni stvarno izgledaju čudno. Mi smo ljudi.

We're a visual species. When scientists first realized

Mi smo vizuelna vrsta. Kada su naučnici prvi put shvatili

that bats were actually using sound to be able to fly

da slepi miševi noću koriste zvuk za letenje,

and orient and move at night, we didn't believe it.

orijentaciju i kretanje, mi im nismo verovali.

For a hundred years, despite evidence to show

Sto godina im nismo verovali,

that this is what they were doing, we didn't believe it.

uprkos dokazima koji pokazuju da oni to stvarno rade.

Now, if you look at this bat, it looks a little bit alien.

Ako pogledate ovog slepog miša, pomalo liči na vanzemaljca.

Indeed, the very famous philosopher Thomas Nagel

Kao što je veoma poznati filozof Tomas Nejgl

once said, "To truly experience an alien life form

jednom rekao: "Da biste zaista iskusili vanzemaljski oblik života

on this planet, you should lock yourself inside a room

na ovoj planeti, treba da se zaključate u potpuno mračnu sobu

with a flying, echolocating bat in complete darkness."

sa letećim, slepim mišem koji se kreće pomoću eholokacije".

And if you look at the actual physical characteristics

I zapravo ako pogledate fizičke karakteristike

on the face of this beautiful horseshoe bat,

na licu ovog prelepog potkovičara

you see a lot of these characteristics are dedicated

videćete da je njihova namena

to be able to make sound and perceive it.

da proizvode i opažaju zvukove.

Very big ears, strange nose leaves, but teeny-tiny eyes.

Veoma velike uši, čudni lisnati nosevi i majušne oči.

So again, if you just look at this bat, you realize

I ako opet pogledate ovog slepog miša, shvatićete

sound is very important for its survival.

da je zvuk veoma bitan za njegov opstanak.

Most bats look like the previous one.

Većina slepih miševa izgleda kao ovaj prethodni.

However, there are a group that do not use echolocation.

Međutim, postoji grupa koja ne koristi eholokaciju.

They do not perceive their environment using sound,

Oni ne opažaju svoju okolinu koristeći zvuk

and these are the flying foxes.

i to su leteće lisice.

If anybody has ever been lucky enough to be in Australia,

Ako je neko bio te sreće da boravi u Australiji,

you've seen them coming out of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney,

video ih je kako izlaze iz botaničke bašte u Sidneju

and if you just look at their face, you can see

i ako samo pogledate u njihova lica, možete videti

they have much, much larger eyes and much smaller ears.

da oni imaju mnogo veće oči i mnogo manje uši.

So among and within bats is a huge variation

Prema tome, među slepim miševima postoji ogromna varijacija

in their ability to use sensory perception.

kada se radi o njihovoj sposobnosti čulnog opažanja.

Now this is going to be important for what I'm going

To će biti važno za ono o čemu

to tell you later during the talk.

ću vam pričati kasnije tokom mog izlaganja.

Now, if the idea of bats in your belfry terrifies you,

Ako vas plaši pomisao na slepe miševe u vašim zvonicima

and I know some people probably are feeling a little sick

i znam da je nekim ljudima malo muka

looking at very large images of bats,

dok gledaju u poprilično velike slike slepih miševa,

that's probably not that surprising,

ali to nije tako iznenađujuće,

because here in Western culture,

s obzirom da su u ovde u zapadnoj kulturi

bats have been demonized.

slepi miševi demonizovani.

Really, of course the famous book "Dracula,"

Naravno, poznata knjiga "Drakula"

written by a fellow Northside Dubliner Bram Stoker,

koju je napisao moj sugrađanin iz severnog Dablina, Bram Stoker,

probably is mainly responsible for this.

je verovatno ovde imala ključnu ulogu.

However, I also think it's got to do with the fact

Međutim, mislim da ovo ima veze i sa činjenicom

that bats come out at night, and we don't

da se miševi pojavljuju noću,

really understand them. We're a little frightened by things

a mi ih zapravo ne razumemo. Malo smo plašimo bića

that can perceive the world slightly differently than us.

koja vide svet drugačije od nas.

Bats are usually synonymous with some type of evil events.

Oni su obično sinonim za neki vrstu nesreće.

They are the perpetrators in horror movies,

Oni su zločinci u horor filmovima,

such as this famous "Nightwing."

kao što je na primer ovaj poznati film "Noćno krilo".

Also, if you think about it, demons

Ako razmislite, demoni

always have bat wings, whereas birds, they typically --

uvek imaju krila slepih miševa, dok ptice i anđeli -

or angels have bird wings.

uglavnom imaju ptičja krila.

Now, this is Western society, and what I hope to do tonight

Mi smo zapadnjačko društvo, i ono što večeras želim da postignem

is to convince you of the Chinese traditional culture,

je da vas ubedim u tradiciju kineske kulture,

that they perceive bats as

u kojoj su slepi miševi

creatures that bring good luck, and indeed, if you walk

bića koja donose sreću, i ako se nekad nađete

into a Chinese home, you may see an image such as this.

u kineskoj kući, možda naiđete na ovakvu sliku.

This is considered the Five Blessings.

Ova slika predstavlja pet blagoslova.

The Chinese word for "bat" sounds like the Chinese word

Kineska reč za "slepog miša" zvuči kao kineska reč

for "happiness," and they believe that bats

za "sreću" i oni veruju da slepi miševi

bring wealth, health, longevity, virtue and serenity.

donose bogatstvo, zdravlje, dugovečnost, čestitost i mir.

And indeed, in this image, you have a picture of longevity

I zaista, na ovom slajdu, imate sliku na kojoj je simbol dugovečnosti

surrounded by five bats.

okružen sa pet slepih miševa.

And what I want to do tonight is to talk to you

I večeras želim da vam objasnim

and to show you that at least three of these blessings

i pokažem da je slepi miš otelotvorenje barem tri

are definitely represented by a bat, and that if we study bats

od ovih spomenutih blagoslova. Kao i da ćemo biti bliži ovim blagoslovima,

we will get nearer to getting each of these blessings.

ako budemo proučavali slepe miševe.

So, wealth -- how can a bat possibly bring us wealth?

Bogatstvo - kako slepi miš može da nam donese bogatstvo?

Now as I said before, bats are essential for our ecosystems

Kao što sam već pomenula, slepi miševi su veoma bitni kako bi naši ekosistemi

to function correctly. And why is this?

normalno funkcionisali. Pitate se zašto?

Bats in the tropics are major pollinators of many plants.

Slepi miševi su u tropima glavni oprašivači mnogih biljaka.

They also feed on fruit, and they disperse the seeds

Takođe, oni se hrane voćem i rasejavaju seme

of these fruits. Bats are responsible for pollinating

ovih biljaka. Slepi miševi su odgovorni za oprašivanje

the tequila plant, and this is a multi-million dollar industry

biljke od koje se pravi tekila, a to je višemilionska industrija

in Mexico. So indeed, we need them

u Meksiku. Stvarno nam trebaju

for our ecosystems to function properly.

kako bi naši ekosistemi normalno funkcionisali.

Without them, it's going to be a problem.

Bez njih, došlo bi do problema.

But most bats are voracious insect predators.

Većina slepih miševa je značajan predator insekata.

It's been estimated in the U.S., in a tiny colony

U SAD-u je procenjeno da broj insekata

of big brown bats, that they will feed

kojim se hrani mala kolonija Eptesicusa fuscusa,

on over a million insects a year,

iznosi i više od jednog miliona godišnje.

and in the United States of America, right now

A u SAD oni su trenutno

bats are being threatened by a disease known as white-nose syndrome.

ugroženi bolešću koja se naziva sindrom belog nosa.

It's working its way slowly across the U.S. and wiping out

Polako se širi po SAD-u i ubija

populations of bats, and scientists have estimated

populacije slepih miševa i naučnici su procenili

that 1,300 metric tons of insects a year are now

da 1300 tona insekata godišnje

remaining in the ecosystems due to the loss of bats.

ostaje u ekosistemima zbog gubitka slepih miševa.

Bats are also threatened in the U.S.

Oni su takođe ugroženi u SAD-u

by their attraction to wind farms. Again, right now

zato što ih privlače vetrenjače. Izgleda da su slepi miševi

bats are looking at a little bit of a problem.

trenutno u teškoj situaciji.

They're going to -- They are very threatened

Oni su veoma ugroženi

in the United States of America alone.

ako gledamo samo Ameriku.

Now how can this help us?

Kako nam ovo može pomoći?

Well, it has been calculated that if we were to remove bats

Procenjeno je da ako miševi više ne budu

from the equation, we're going to have to then use

deo ove celine, moraćemo da koristimo

insecticides to remove all those pest insects

insekticide kako bismo istrebili sve te štetne insekte

that feed on our agricultural crops.

koji se hrane našim usevima.

And for one year in the U.S. alone, it's estimated

Samo za SAD je procenjeno da će jedna godina

that it's going to cost 22 billion U.S. dollars,

koštati 22 milijarde američkih dolara

if we remove bats. So indeed, bats then do bring us wealth.

ako uklonimo slepe miševe. Tako da nam oni zaista donose bogatstvo.

They maintain the health of our ecosystems,

Oni održavaju zdravlje naših ekosistema,

and also they save us money.

i štede nam novac.

So again, that's the first blessing. Bats are important

To je prvi blagoslov. Slepi miševi su važni

for our ecosystems.

za naše ekosisteme.

And what about the second? What about health?

A šta je sa drugim blagoslovom? Sa zdravljem?

Inside every cell in your body lies your genome.

U svakoj ćeliji u vašem telu smešten je genom.

Your genome is made up of your DNA,

Vaš genom sastavljen je od DNK,

your DNA codes for proteins that enable you to function

od vaših DNK kodova za proteine koji vam omogućavaju da funkcionišete,

and interact and be as you are.

komunicirate i budete ono što jeste.

Now since the new advancements in modern molecular technologies,

Zahvaljući napretku u savremenim molekularnim tehnologijama,

it is now possible for us to sequence our own genome

sada možemo da sekvenciramo naš genom

in a very rapid time and at a very, very reduced cost.

za veoma kratko vreme i po dosta niskoj ceni.

Now when we've been doing this, we've realized

Kada smo ovo radili, shvatili smo

that there's variations within our genome.

da postoji varijacija unutar našeg genoma.

So I want you to look at the person beside you.

Želim da pogledate u osobu pored sebe.

Just have a quick look. And what we need to realize

Samo brzo pogledajte. Ono što želim da svi shvatite

is that every 300 base pairs in your DNA, you're a little bit different.

je da vas svaki tristoti bazni par u vašim DNK, čini malo različitim.

And one of the grand challenges right now

I ono što trenutno predstavlja veliki izazov

in modern molecular medicine is to work out

u savremenoj molekularnoj medicini je da se otkrije

whether this variation makes you more susceptible to diseases,

da li ova varijacija čini da budete podložniji bolestima

or does this variation just make you different?

ili vas ova varijacija samo čini drugačijim.

Again, what does it mean here? What does this variation

Šta to znači? Šta ta varijacija podrazumeva?

actually mean? So if we are to capitalize on all of this

Ako hoćemo da iskoristimo sve

new molecular data and personalized genomic information

ove nove molekularne podatke i personalizovane genomske informacije

that is coming online that we will be able to have

koje će biti dostupne na internetu

in the next few years, we have to be able to differentiate

u narednih nekoliko godina, moramo da napravimo razliku

between the two. So how do we do this?

između ove dve stvari. Ali kako to da uradimo?

Well, I believe we just look at nature's experiments.

Mislim da treba samo da posmatramo eksperimente prirode.

So through natural selection, over time,

Kroz prirodnu selekciju, mutacije

mutations, variations that disrupt the function of a protein

i varijacije koje menjaju funkciju proteina, vremenom

will not be tolerated over time.

postaju neprihvatljive.

Evolution acts as a sieve. It sieves out the bad variation.

Evolucija je kao sito. Ona otklanja loše varijacije.

And so therefore, if you look at the same region

Prema tome, ako pogledate u isti region

of a genome in many mammals that have been

genoma kod mnogih sisara među kojima postoji

evolutionarily distant from each other

razlika u evoluciji

and are also ecologically divergent, you will get a better

kao i u prirodnom okruženju,

understanding of what the evolutionary prior of that site is,

bolje ćete razumeti kakav je taj region bio pre evolucije,

i.e., if it is important for the mammal to function,

tj. ako je neophodan da bi sisar funcionisao

for its survival, it will be the same

i preživeo, biće isti

in all of those different lineages, species, taxa.

kod svih tih različitih porekla, vrsta, taksona.

So therefore, if we were to do this,

Ako budemo radili ovo,

what we'd need to do is sequence that region

morali bismo da sekvenciramo taj region

in all these different mammals and ascertain if it's the same

kod svih ovih različitih sisara i da se uverimo da li je isti

or if it's different. So if it is the same,

ili različit. Ako je isti,

this indicates that that site is important for a function,

to pokazuje da je taj region bitan za neku funkciju,

so a disease mutation should fall within that site.

i da ima neke veze sa mutiranjem bolesti.

So in this case here, if all the mammals that we look at

U ovom slučaju, ako svi sisari koje posmatramo

have a yellow-type genome at that site,

imaju žuti tip genoma na tom mestu,

it probably suggests that purple is bad.

to verovatno govori da je ljubičasti loš.

This could be even more powerful if you look at mammals

Ovo može izgledati i mnogo moćnije ako pogledate sisare

that are doing things slightly differently.

koji se ponašaju malo drugačije.

So say, for example, the region of the genome

Recimo, region genoma

that I was looking at was a region that's important for vision.

koji sam ja posmatrala je region koji je bitan za vid.

If we look at that region in mammals that don't see so well,

Ako posmatramo taj region kod sisara koji ne vide tako dobro,

such as bats, and we find that bats that don't see so well

kao što su slepi miševi, i pronađemo da slepi miševi koji ne vide tako dobro

have the purple type, we know that this is probably

imaju ljubičasti tip, znaćemo da je to ono

what's causing this disease.

što uzrokuje bolest.

So in my lab, we've been using bats to look at two different

U mojoj laboratoriji, koristili smo slepe miševe kako bismo posmatrali ova dva različita

types of diseases of the senses.

tipa bolesti čula.

We're looking at blindness. Now why would you do this?

Istraživali smo slepilo. Ali zašto smo ovo radili?

Three hundred and fourteen million people are visually impaired, and

Tristo četrnaest miliona ljudi je slabovido,

45 million of these are blind. So blindness is a big problem,

a 45 miliona od ovog broja je slepo. Prema tome, slepilo je veliki problem.

and a lot of these blind disorders come from inherited diseases,

Mnogi od ovih poremećaja uzrokovani su naslednim bolestima

so we want to try and better understand

i zato hoćemo da pokušamo što bolje da razumemo

which mutations in the gene cause the disease.

koje mutacije u genu izazivaju bolest.

Also we look at deafness. One in every 1,000

Istraživali smo i gluvoću. Jedno od 1000

newborn babies are deaf, and when we reach 80,

novorođenčadi je gluvo, a kada dođemo do 80 godina

over half of us will also have a hearing problem.

više od polovine nas ima problem sa sluhom.

Again, there's many underlying genetic causes for this.

Iza ovoga stoje mnogi uzroci koji su genetske prirode.

So what we've been doing in my lab

U mojoj laboratoriji

is looking at these unique sensory specialists, the bats,

posmatrali smo slepe miševe, ove jedinstvene stručnjake za čula

and we have looked at genes that cause blindness

i gene koji uzrokuju slepilo

when there's a defect in them,

kada u njima postoji neki defekt,

genes that cause deafness when there's a defect in them,

gene koji uzrokuju gluvoću kad u njima postoji neki defekt

and now we can predict which sites are most likely to cause disease.

i sada možemo da predvidimo koji regioni najčešće izazivaju bolest.

So bats are also important for our health,

Slepi miševi su zato važni i za naše zdravlje,

to enable us to better understand how our genome functions.

jer nam pomažu da bolje razumemo kako naš genom funkcioniše.

So this is where we are right now,

To je sadašnja situacija,

but what about the future?

a šta će tek biti u budućnosti?

What about longevity?

Koliko dugo ćemo moći ovako da živimo?

This is where we're going to go, and as I said before,

Situacija može biti samo gora, i zbog toga ponavljam

I really believe that the secret of everlasting youth

da stvarno verujem da se tajna večne mladosti

lies within the bat genome.

nalazi u genomu slepog miša.

So why should we be interested in aging at all?

Zašto bismo se uopšte interesovali za starenje?

Well, really, this is a picture drawn from the 1500s

Ovo je slika Fontane mladosti

of the Fountain of Youth. Aging is considered

iz 16. veka. Starenje se smatra

one of the most familiar, yet the least well-understood,

jednim od najpoznatijih, ali najmanje shvaćenih

aspects of all of biology, and really,

aspekata biologije i ljudi su

since the dawn of civilization, mankind has sought to avoid it.

od početka civilizacije pokušali da ga izbegnu.

But we are going to have to understand it a bit better.

Ali moraćemo malo bolje da je shvatimo.

In Europe alone, by 2050, there is going to be

Samo u Evropi će do 2050 godine doći

a 70 percent increase of individuals over 65,

do porasta od 70 odsto u broju ljudi starijih od 65 godina

and 170 percent increase in individuals over 80.

i porasta od 170 odsto u broju ljudi koji su stariji od 80 godina.

As we age, we deteriorate, and this deterioration

Kako starimo, naše stanje se pogoršava, a ovo pogoršanje

causes problems for our society, so we have to address it.

stvara probleme za naše društvo, stoga moramo da obratimo pažnju na njega.

So how could the secret of everlasting youth actually lie

Kako je onda moguće da tajna večne mladosti leži

within the bat genome? Does anybody want to hazard

u genomu slepog miša? Da li neko želi da pogađa

a guess over how long this bat could live for?

koliko dugo ovaj slepi miš može da živi?

Who -- put up your hands -- who says two years?

Ako neko misli da može da živi recimo dve godine, neka podigne ruku.

Nobody? One? How about 10 years?

Niko? Samo jedna ruka? A recimo 10 godina?

Some? How about 30?

Nekoliko ruku. A 30 godina?

How about 40? Okay, it's a whole varied response.

A 40 godina? Dobro, ima različitih mišljenja.

This bat is myotis brandtii. It's the longest-living bat.

Ovaj slepi miš je myotis brandtii. To je slepi miš sa najdužim životnim vekom.

It lived for up to 42 years,

Može da živi i do 42 godine,

and this bat's still alive in the wild today.

a ovaj slepi miš je i danas živ negde u divljini.

But what would be so amazing about this?

Ali šta je toliko neverovatno što se tiče ovoga?

Well, typically, in mammals there is a relationship

Kod sisara, uglavnom, postoji veza

between body size, metabolic rate,

između veličine tela, potrošnje energije

and how long you can live for, and you can predict

i toga koliko dugo oni mogu da žive i može da se predvidi

how long a mammal can live for given its body size.

koliko dugo će sisar živeti na osnovu njegove veličine.

So typically, small mammals live fast, die young.

Mali sisari većinom brzo žive i umiru mladi.

Think of a mouse. But bats are very different.

Setite se miševa. Ali slepi miševi su drugačiji.

As you can see here on this graph, in blue,

Na ovoj slici možete videti da su plavom bojom označeni

these are all other mammals, but bats

svi ostali sisari, dok slepi miševi

can live up to nine times longer than expected

mogu da žive i do devet puta više nego što je očekivano

despite having a really, really high metabolic rate,

uprkos tome što imaju veoma visok stepen potrošnje energije

and the question is, how can they do that?

i postavlja se pitanje, kako oni to uspevaju?

There are 19 species of mammal that live longer

Postoji 19 vrsta sisara koji žive duže

than expected, given their body size, than man,

od očekivanog, s obzirom na njihovu veličinu u poređenju sa čovekom

and 18 of those are bats.

i 18 od tih vrsta su slepi miševi.

So therefore, they must have something within their DNA

Zato mora da postoji nešto unutar njihovog DNK

that ables them to deal with the metabolic stresses,

što im omogućava da podnesu opterećenje metabolizma,

particularly of flight. They expend three times more energy

posebno prilikom letenja. Oni troše tri puta više energije

than a mammal of the same size,

od sisara njihove veličine,

but don't seem to suffer the consequences or the effects.

ali izgleda da to ne ostavlja nikakve posledice na njih.

So right now, in my lab, we're combining

U mojoj laboratoriji trenutno kombinujemo

state-of-the-art bat field biology, going out and catching

savremenu biologiju u oblasti slepih miševa, izlazimo i hvatamo

the long-lived bats, with the most up-to-date,

ove dugovečne slepe miševe, uz pomoć najnovije

modern molecular technology to understand better

savremene molekularne tehnologije kako bismo bolje razumeli

what it is that they do to stop aging as we do.

šta je to što oni rade kako bi sprečili starenje.

And hopefully in the next five years, I'll be giving you a TEDTalk on that.

I nadam se da ću za nekih 5 godina držati TED govor o tome.

Aging is a big problem for humanity,

Starenje je veliki problem za čovečanstvo

and I believe that by studying bats, we can uncover

i verujem da ćemo proučavanjem slepih miševa uspeti da otkrijemo

the molecular mechanisms that enable mammals

molekularne mehanizme koji omogućavaju sisarima

to achieve extraordinary longevity. If we find out

da dostignu neverovatnu dugovečnost. Ako otkrijemo

what they're doing, perhaps through gene therapy,

kako oni to postižu, možda uz pomoć genske terapije

we can enable us to do the same thing.

i sami možemo doći do uspeha.

Potentially, this means that we could halt aging or maybe even reverse it.

Ovo znači da bismo možda mogli da zaustavimo starenje ili ga čak i poništimo.

Just imagine what that would be like.

Zamislite samo kako bi to bilo.

So really, I don't think we should be thinking of them

Zato mislim da ne treba o njima da razmišljamo kao

as flying demons of the night, but more as our superheroes.

o letećim demonima noći, već kao o našim superherojima.

And the reality is that bats can bring us so much benefit

I oni nam stvarno mogu mnogo pomoći

if we just look in the right place. They're good for our ecosystem,

samo ako budemo tražili na pravom mestu. Dobri su za naše ekosisteme,

they allow us to understand how our genome functions,

pomoću njih možemo shvatiti kako naš genom funkcioniše,

and they potentially hold the secret to everlasting youth.

i moguće je da je u njima skrivena tajna večne mladosti.

So tonight, when you walk out of here and you look up

Danas kada budete izašli odavde, volela bih da se nasmejete

in the night skies, and you see this beautiful flying mammal,

kad god pogledate u noćno nebo i vidite

I want you to smile. Thank you. (Applause)

ovog prelepog sisara. Hvala. (Aplauz)