Janet Iwasa: How animations can help scientists test a hypothesis

翻译人员: Rui Zhang 校对人员: Li Li

Take a look at this drawing.

请看这幅图。

Can you tell what it is?

大家知道这是什么吗？

I'm a molecular biologist by training,

我是一个接受过训练的分子生物学家。

and I've seen a lot of these kinds of drawings.

因此我已经看过了很多这类图片。

They're usually referred to as a model figure,

他们通常被称作模型图片,

a drawing that shows how we think

展示我们对细胞或分子过程

a cellular or molecular process occurs.

是如何进行的理解。

This particular drawing is of a process

这幅图描述的是这样一个过程,

called clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

它叫网格蛋白介质的内吞。

It's a process by which a molecule can get

该过程是指一个分子可以

from the outside of the cell to the inside

从细胞外转运入细胞内。

by getting captured in a bubble or a vesicle

转入的方式是通过先被捕捉进小泡或囊中,

that then gets internalized by the cell.

随后被细胞内在化。

There's a problem with this drawing, though,

但这幅图有一个问题,

and it's mainly in what it doesn't show.

这个问题主要是这幅图所没有表现的东西。

From lots of experiments,

从大量的实验中,

from lots of different scientists,

从大量不同的科学家身上,

we know a lot about what these molecules look like,

我们对这些分子的样子,

how they move around in the cell,

它们是如何在细胞内移动的了解很多。

and that this is all taking place

这些都发生在

in an incredibly dynamic environment.

一个不可思议的动态的环境中。

So in collaboration with a clathrin expert Tomas Kirchhausen,

因此，在与网格蛋白专家托马斯·科切豪斯合作中,

we decided to create a new kind of model figure

我们决定创造一个新的模型图片。

that showed all of that.

它可以展示所有的细节。

So we start outside of the cell.

于是我们从细胞外开始。

Now we're looking inside.

现在，我们看到的是内部。

Clathrin are these three-legged molecules

网格蛋白就是那些三条腿的分子。

that can self-assemble into soccer-ball-like shapes.

它们可以自己组合成足球的形状。

Through connections with a membrane,

通过膜的相互连接,

clathrin is able to deform the membrane

网格蛋白可以使膜发生变形,

and form this sort of a cup

然后形成这种像杯子一样的形状

that forms this sort of a bubble, or a vesicle,

接着形成这种像小泡或小囊样的形状,

that's now capturing some of the proteins

现在它正在捕捉一些

that were outside of the cell.

细胞外的蛋白质。

Proteins are coming in now that basically pinch off this vesicle,

蛋白质正在进入，基本上掐断了小囊,

making it separate from the rest of the membrane,

使得它从膜上分离开来。

and now clathrin is basically done with its job,

现在，网格蛋白基本上已经完成了它的使命,

and so proteins are coming in now —

于是，蛋白质就进来了。

we've covered them yellow and orange —

我们用黄色和橙色来标记它们。

that are responsible for taking apart this clathrin cage.

它们负责将网格蛋白形成的笼子拆开,

And so all of these proteins can get basically recycled

于是所有这些蛋白质基本上都可以循环,

and used all over again.

重新加以利用。

These processes are too small to be seen directly,

这些过程太小了以至于无法看到,

even with the best microscopes,

即使是用最好的显微镜,

so animations like this provide a really powerful way

因此，像这样的动画就提供了一个强大的工具

of visualizing a hypothesis.

把一个假说可视化。

Here's another illustration,

这是另一个例子,

and this is a drawing of how a researcher might think

这幅图展示了研究人员是如何猜想

that the HIV virus gets into and out of cells.

艾滋病毒进入与离开细胞的。

And again, this is a vast oversimplification

同样，这是一个极大的简化,

and doesn't begin to show

而且还没开始显示,

what we actually know about these processes.

我们对这些过程实际的了解。

You might be surprised to know

你可能会惊奇的发现,

that these simple drawings are the only way

这些简单的图画就是

that most biologists visualize their molecular hypotheses.

绝大多数生物学家 可视化他们分子假说的唯一途径。

Why?

为什么？

Because creating movies of processes

因为将我们认为实际上发生的过程

as we think they actually occur is really hard.

用电影的形式创作出来是非常困难的。

I spent months in Hollywood learning 3D animation software,

我在好莱坞花了数个月学习三维动画软件。

and I spend months on each animation,

每一个动画我都花了数月来制作。

and that's just time that most researchers can't afford.

这些时间对大多数研究员来说太长了。

The payoffs can be huge, though.

但是，回报也是巨大的。

Molecular animations are unparalleled

分子动画是前所未有的。

in their ability to convey a great deal of information

它们能向广大的观众

to broad audiences with extreme accuracy.

传达大量精准的信息。

And I'm working on a new project now

我现在正从事一个新的项目,

called "The Science of HIV"

它的名字叫“艾滋病病毒的科学”。

where I'll be animating the entire life cycle

在这个项目中，我会尽可能准确地

of the HIV virus as accurately as possible

将HIV病毒的整个生命周期用动画描绘出来，

and all in molecular detail.

所有的这些都会细致到分子级别。

The animation will feature data

动画会取材于数千名科学家

from thousands of researchers collected over decades,

在近几十年来收集的数据。

data on what this virus looks like,

这些数据告诉我们这种病毒的形态,

how it's able to infect cells in our body,

它如何感染我们身体中的细胞,

and how therapeutics are helping to combat infection.

以及如何对感染进行治疗。

Over the years, I found that animations

多年以来，我发现动画

aren't just useful for communicating an idea,

不仅仅便于交流思想,

but they're also really useful

它们同样在

for exploring a hypothesis.

探索假说上发挥作用。

Biologists for the most part are still using a paper and pencil

许多生物学家仍使用笔和纸

to visualize the processes they study,

来将他们研究的过程可视化,

and with the data we have now, that's just not good enough anymore.

使用的也是我们目前已有的数据, 但这远远不够。

The process of creating an animation

创作动画的过程

can act as a catalyst that allows researchers

可以像催化剂一样，让研究人员

to crystalize and refine their own ideas.

把想法清晰化，使之完善。

One researcher I worked with

我与一位研究员合作过,

who works on the molecular mechanisms

她的研究方向是

of neurodegenerative diseases

神经变性疾病的分子机理

came up with experiments that were related

她提出一些与动画有直接相关的实验，

directly to the animation that she and I worked on together,

于是我和她齐心协力,

and in this way, animation can feed back into the research process.

这样，动画就能反馈到研究过程中。

I believe that animation can change biology.

我相信动画能够改变生物学。

It can change the way that we communicate with one another,

它可以改变我们与他人的交流方式,

how we explore our data

我们如何分析数据,

and how we teach our students.

以及我们如何教育学生。

But for that change to happen,

但要想这些改变发生,

we need more researchers creating animations,

我们需要更多的研究人员创作动画。

and toward that end, I brought together a team

为实现这一目标，我召集了一支

of biologists, animators and programmers

由生物学家、动画师和程序员组成的团队。

to create a new, free, open-source software —

开发了一款全新的、免费的、开源的软件。

we call it Molecular Flipbook —

我们称它为“分子原始动画”。

that's created just for biologists

它为生物学家而生,

just to create molecular animations.

专门用来创作分子动画。

From our testing, we've found that it only takes 15 minutes

测试显示，仅需要15分钟

for a biologist who has never touched animation software before

一个从未接触动画软件的生物学家

to create her first molecular animation

就可以将她的假说猜想

of her own hypothesis.

创作成她的第一个分子动画。

We're also building an online database

我们同时也建立了一个在线数据库,

where anyone can view, download and contribute

任何人都可以查看、下载

their own animations.

以及上传他们自己的动画。

We're really excited to announce

我们非常激动地宣布

that the beta version of the molecular animation

这款分子动画制作软件的测试版

software toolkit will be available for download today.

今天就可以下载了。

We are really excited to see what biologists will create with it

看到生物学家用它来创作东西

and what new insights they're able to gain

以及他们从自己创作的动画中

from finally being able to animate

得到的启示

their own model figures.

我们为此感到激动不已。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

(鼓掌)