To detect diseases earlier, let's speak bacteria's secret language | Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi

Translator: Leslie Gauthier Reviewer: Camille Martínez

翻译人员: Wendy Wu 校对人员: Bighead Ge

You don't know them.

你不认识它们。

You don't see them.

你看不见它们。

But they're always around,

但它们一直都在周围，

whispering,

窃窃私语，

making secret plans,

秘密计划，

building armies with millions of soldiers.

以百万兵力建造军队。

And when they decide to attack,

但它们决定进攻时，

they all attack at the same time.

它们同一时间一哄而上。

I'm talking about bacteria.

我在说的是细菌。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Who did you think I was talking about?

你们以为我在说谁？

Bacteria live in communities just like humans.

细菌生活的社群就和人类一样。

They have families,

它们有家庭，

they talk,

它们交谈，

还会做行动计划。

and they plan their activities.

And just like humans, they trick, deceive,

也像人类一样，它们耍花招，

and some might even cheat on each other.

有些甚至互相欺骗。

What if I tell you that we can listen to bacterial conversations

如果我告诉你， 我们可以听懂细菌的对话，

and translate their confidential information into human language?

并把它们的机密信息 翻译成人类语言呢?

And what if I tell you that translating bacterial conversations can save lives?

如果我告诉你， 翻译细菌语言可以挽救生命呢？

I hold a PhD in nanophysics,

我拥有纳米物理学博士学位，

and I've used nanotechnology to develop a real-time translation tool

我使用纳米技术 开发了一个实时翻译工具，

that can spy on bacterial communities

可以监视细菌群落，

and give us recordings of what bacteria are up to.

记录细菌在做什么。

Bacteria live everywhere.

细菌无处不在。

They're in the soil, on our furniture

它们在土壤中，在我们的家具上，

and inside our bodies.

在我们的身体里。

In fact, 90 percent of all the live cells in this theater are bacterial.

事实上，这个剧院里 有90%的活细胞是细菌。

Some bacteria are good for us;

有些细菌对我们是好的，

they help us digest food or produce antibiotics.

它们帮助我们消化食物 或生产抗生素。

And some bacteria are bad for us;

有些细菌对我们有害，

they cause diseases and death.

它们会造成疾病和死亡。

To coordinate all the functions bacteria have,

要协调所有细菌的功能，

they have to be able to organize,

它们必须能够组织起来，

and they do that just like us humans --

方法与人类别无二致——

by communicating.

通过交谈。

But instead of using words,

不同于使用语言，

they use signaling molecules to communicate with each other.

它们使用信号分子互相交流。

When bacteria are few,

当细菌不多时，

the signaling molecules just flow away,

信号分子就会流失，

like the screams of a man alone in the desert.

就像沙漠中一个人的尖叫。

But when there are many bacteria, the signaling molecules accumulate,

但当细菌很多时， 信号分子聚集起来，

and the bacteria start sensing that they're not alone.

细菌觉察到它们并不孤单。

They listen to each other.

它们互相倾听。

In this way, they keep track of how many they are

通过这种方式，它们跟踪集群的数量，

and when they're many enough to initiate a new action.

当它们足够多时，就开始一个新的行动。

And when the signaling molecules have reached a certain threshold,

当信号分子已经达到一定的阈值，

all the bacteria sense at once that they need to act

所有的细菌会同时感知它们需要

with the same action.

同步行动。

So bacterial conversation consists of an initiative and a reaction,

细菌的交流包括 自发行动和被动反应，

a production of a molecule and the response to it.

生产一个分子以及对分子的反应。

In my research, I focused on spying on bacterial communities

在我的研究中，我专注于监听细菌菌落

inside the human body.

在人体中的活动。

How does it work?

它们如何工作的？

We have a sample from a patient.

我们会拿一个病人的样本。

It could be a blood or spit sample.

可能是血液或唾液样本。

We shoot electrons into the sample,

我们把电子射入样本，

the electrons will interact with any communication molecules present,

电子会和任何可沟通分子互动,

and this interaction will give us information

这种互动会给我们信息

on the identity of the bacteria,

来确认细菌种类，

the type of communication

它们交谈的类型

and how much the bacteria are talking.

以及有多少细菌在交谈。

But what is it like when bacteria communicate?

细菌在交谈时是什么样的呢？

Before I developed the translation tool,

在我开发这个翻译工具之前，

my first assumption was that bacteria would have a primitive language,

我最早猜测细菌会有一种原始的语言，

like infants that haven't developed words and sentences yet.

就像没有发育出 表达单词和句子能力的婴儿。

When they laugh, they're happy; when they cry, they're sad.

当它们笑，就是开心； 当它们哭，就是难过。

Simple as that.

就像这样简单。

But bacteria turned out to be nowhere as primitive as I thought they would be.

但事实证明， 细菌可不像我想象的那样原始。

A molecule is not just a molecule.

一个分子不仅仅是一个分子。

It can mean different things depending on the context,

根据具体情境， 它们可以有不同的含义，

just like the crying of babies can mean different things:

就像婴儿的哭泣 可以表示不同的事情：

sometimes the baby is hungry,

有时是这个婴儿饿了，

sometimes it's wet,

有时是尿湿了，

sometimes it's hurt or afraid.

有时是受伤了或害怕了。

Parents know how to decode those cries.

父母知道怎么解码它们的哭泣。

And to be a real translation tool,

要做一个真正的翻译工具，

it had to be able to decode the signaling molecules

它必须能够解码信号分子

and translate them depending on the context.

并根据上下文翻译。

And who knows?

谁知道呢？

Maybe Google Translate will adopt this soon.

也许谷歌翻译很快会采用。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Let me give you an example.

我来举一个例子。

I've brought some bacterial data that can be a bit tricky to understand

我带来了一些细菌数据， 它们可能有点难以理解，

if you're not trained,

如果你没有经过训练的话，

but try to take a look.

不过试着看一下。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Here's a happy bacterial family that has infected a patient.

这是一个感染了病人的快乐细菌家族。

Let's call them the Montague family.

就叫它们蒙太古家吧。

They share resources, they reproduce, and they grow.

它们分享资源，再生产，繁衍。

One day, they get a new neighbor,

一天，它们来了一个新邻居，

bacterial family Capulet.

细菌凯普莱特家。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Everything is fine, as long as they're working together.

只要它们能和谐相处，一切都没问题。

But then something unplanned happens.

但接着一些计划外的事发生了。

Romeo from Montague has a relationship with Juliet from Capulet.

蒙太古家的罗密欧 和凯普莱特家的朱丽叶在一起了。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

And yes, they share genetic material.

而且，它们分享了基因物质。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

Now, this gene transfer can be dangerous to the Montagues

而这个转移基因 对蒙太古家是一个威胁，

that have the ambition to be the only family in the patient they have infected,

会打乱它们要独占 这个感染病人的计划，

and sharing genes contributes

而分享的基因会帮助

to the Capulets developing resistance to antibiotics.

凯普莱特家发展对抗生素的耐药性。

So the Montagues start talking internally to get rid of this other family

所以蒙太古家族开始内部对话， 想要通过释放这个分子

by releasing this molecule.

来摆脱另一个家族。

(Laughter)

（大笑）

And with subtitles:

而且有主题：

[Let us coordinate an attack.]

【让我们协调进攻。】

（大笑）

(Laughter)

Let's coordinate an attack.

让我们协调进攻。

And then everybody at once responds

然后每个人立刻释放出

by releasing a poison that will kill the other family.

一种毒药，来杀死另一个家庭。

[Eliminate!]

【清除！】

(Laughter)

（大笑）

The Capulets respond by calling for a counterattack.

凯普莱特人则要求反击。

[Counterattack!]

【反击！】

And they have a battle.

然后它们发动了战争。

This is a video of real bacteria dueling with swordlike organelles,

这是一段真实的细菌 与剑状细胞器搏斗的视频，

where they try to kill each other

它们试图通过

by literally stabbing and rupturing each other.

互相刺穿和撕裂杀死对方。

Whoever's family wins this battle becomes the dominant bacteria.

谁的家族赢得了这场战斗， 就将成为占统治地位的细菌。

So what I can do is to detect bacterial conversations

所以我能做的就是监听细菌的对话，

that lead to different collective behaviors

这些对话会导致不同的集体行为，

like the fight you just saw.

就像你刚才看到的打斗。

And what I did was to spy on bacterial communities

我要做的就是监视

inside the human body

在医院病人体内的

in patients at a hospital.

细菌群落。

I followed 62 patients in an experiment,

在一项实验中，我跟踪了62名患者，

where I tested the patient samples for one particular infection,

在不知道传统诊断测试结果的情况下，

我对患者样本进行了 一种特定感染的测试。

without knowing the results of the traditional diagnostic test.

Now, in bacterial diagnostics,

当前，细菌诊断学的方法是，

a sample is smeared out on a plate,

把样本涂在玻片上，

and if the bacteria grow within five days,

如果细菌在五天内生长出来，

the patient is diagnosed as infected.

病人就被诊断为感染。

When I finished the study and I compared the tool results

当我完成研究，并将工具结果

to the traditional diagnostic test and the validation test,

与传统的诊断测试和 验证测试进行比较时，

I was shocked.

我震惊了。

It was far more astonishing than I had ever anticipated.

这比我想象的更令人吃惊。

But before I tell you what the tool revealed,

但在我告诉你这个工具揭示了什么之前，

I would like to tell you about a specific patient I followed,

我想告诉你一个 我跟踪的病人的具体情况，

a young girl.

一个年轻女孩。

She had cystic fibrosis,

她得了囊性纤维化，

a genetic disease that made her lungs susceptible to bacterial infections.

这是一种遗传疾病， 导致她的肺部疾病易受细菌感染。

This girl wasn't a part of the clinical trial.

这个女孩没有参与临床试验。

I followed her because I knew from her medical record

我跟踪她是因为， 我从她的医疗记录中

that she had never had an infection before.

得知她以前从未感染过。

Once a month, this girl went to the hospital

这个女孩每个月去医院一次，

to cough up a sputum sample that she spit in a cup.

把她咳出的痰样本吐在杯子里。

This sample was transferred for bacterial analysis

这个样本被转移到中央实验室

at the central laboratory

进行细菌分析，

so the doctors could act quickly if they discovered an infection.

这样医生们就可以在 发现感染时迅速采取行动。

And it allowed me to test my device on her samples as well.

这也让我有机会 用她的样本测试我的设备。

The first two months I measured on her samples, there was nothing.

头两个月，我在她的样本中 什么都没发现。

But the third month,

但第三个月，

I discovered some bacterial chatter in her sample.

我在她的样本中发现 一些细菌在说个不停。

The bacteria were coordinating to damage her lung tissue.

细菌正在协同破坏她的肺组织。

But the traditional diagnostics showed no bacteria at all.

但传统的诊断显示根本没有细菌。

I measured again the next month,

下一个月我再次测试，

and I could see that the bacterial conversations became even more aggressive.

我可以看到细菌的对话 变得更加激烈。

Still, the traditional diagnostics showed nothing.

然而，传统的诊断 还没有显示出任何结果。

My study ended, but a half a year later, I followed up on her status

我的研究结束了，但半年后， 我对她的病情进行了追踪，

to see if the bacteria only I knew about had disappeared

想看看在没有医疗干预的情况下，

without medical intervention.

这种只有我知道的细菌 是否已经消失了。

They hadn't.

它们并没有。

But the girl was now diagnosed with a severe infection

但那女孩现在被诊断出

of deadly bacteria.

严重感染致命细菌。

It was the very same bacteria my tool discovered earlier.

而这正是我的工具 早些时候发现的细菌。

And despite aggressive antibiotic treatment,

尽管进行了积极的抗生素治疗，

it was impossible to eradicate the infection.

仍然不可能根除感染。

Doctors deemed that she would not survive her 20s.

医生认为她活不过30岁。

When I measured on this girl's samples,

当我测量这个女孩的样本时，

my tool was still in the initial stage.

我的工具还处于初级阶段。

I didn't even know if my method worked at all,

我甚至不知道我的方法是否有效，

therefore I had an agreement with the doctors

因此我与医生达成协议，

not to tell them what my tool revealed

不告诉他们我的工具揭示了什么，

in order not to compromise their treatment.

以免影响他们的治疗。

So when I saw these results that weren't even validated,

所以当我看到这些结果 甚至没有得到证实时，

I didn't dare to tell

我不敢说出来，

because treating a patient without an actual infection

因为治疗一个没有感染的病人

also has negative consequences for the patient.

也会对病人产生负面影响。

But now we know better,

但现在我们知道得更多了，

and there are many young boys and girls that still can be saved

还有很多年轻的男孩女孩们可以被救，

because, unfortunately, this scenario happens very often.

因为，不幸的是，这种情况经常发生。

Patients get infected,

病人被感染了，

the bacteria somehow don't show on the traditional diagnostic test,

在传统的诊断测试中没有发现细菌，

and suddenly, the infection breaks out in the patient with severe symptoms.

突然间，感染在有严重症状的 病人身上爆发了。

And at that point, it's already too late.

但到了这个时候，已经太迟了。

The surprising result of the 62 patients I followed

在我随访的62名患者中， 令人惊讶的结果是，

was that my device caught bacterial conversations

我的设备在半数以上患者样本中

in more than half of the patient samples

捕捉到了细菌对话，

that were diagnosed as negative by traditional methods.

而这些患者在传统方法中 都被诊断为阴性。

In other words, more than half of these patients went home thinking

换句话说，这些病人中 有一半以上回家时

they were free from infection,

认为自己没有感染，

although they actually carried dangerous bacteria.

尽管他们实际上携带着危险的细菌。

Inside these wrongly diagnosed patients,

在这些被误诊的病人体内，

bacteria were coordinating a synchronized attack.

细菌正在协调一种同步的攻击。

They were whispering to each other.

它们互相私语。

What I call "whispering bacteria"

我所说的“窃窃私语细菌”

are bacteria that traditional methods cannot diagnose.

是传统方法无法诊断的细菌。

So far, it's only the translation tool that can catch those whispers.

到目前为止，只有翻译工具 才能捕捉到这些窃窃私语。

I believe that the time frame in which bacteria are still whispering

我相信，细菌仍在窃窃私语的时间范围

is a window of opportunity for targeted treatment.

是靶向治疗的机会之窗。

If the girl had been treated during this window of opportunity,

如果那个女孩在这段时间内接受治疗，

it might have been possible to kill the bacteria

则有可能在感染扩散之前

in their initial stage,

在细菌的初始阶段

before the infection got out of hand.

消灭它们。

What I experienced with this young girl made me decide to do everything I can

我和这个小女孩的经历 让我决定要尽我所能

to push this technology into the hospital.

把这项技术推广到医院。

Together with doctors,

和医生们一起，

I'm already working on implementing this tool in clinics

我已经开始在诊所里使用这个工具

to diagnose early infections.

来诊断早期感染。

Although it's still not known how doctors should treat patients

虽然还不清楚医生在窃窃私语阶段

during the whispering phase,

应该如何治疗病人，

this tool can help doctors keep a closer eye on patients in risk.

但这个工具可以帮助医生 密切关注处于危险中的病人。

It could help them confirm if a treatment had worked or not,

它可以帮助他们确认治疗是否有效，

and it could help answer simple questions:

还可以帮助回答一些简单的问题：

Is the patient infected?

患者是否被感染了？

And what are the bacteria up to?

这些细菌在做什么？

Bacteria talk,

细菌在说话，

they make secret plans,

进行秘密计划，

and they send confidential information to each other.

互相发送机密信息。

But not only can we catch them whispering,

但我们不仅可以捕捉它们的窃窃私语，

we can all learn their secret language

还可以学会它们的秘密语言，

and become ourselves bacterial whisperers.

让我们自己成为细菌语者。

And, as bacteria would say,

正如细菌所说，

"3-oxo-C12-aniline."

"3-oxo-C12-aniline."

(Laughter)

（大笑）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

谢谢。

Thank you.