Meet the microscopic life in your home -- and on your face | Anne Madden

翻译人员: yihui ma 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

I want you to touch your face.

请大家摸摸自己的脸。

Go on.

试一试，

What do you feel?

你们有什么感觉？

Soft? Squishy?

是不是很柔软很有弹性？

It's you, right? You're feeling you?

你摸到的是你自已吗？

Well, it's not quite true.

那可不全是你自己。

You're actually feeling thousands of microscopic creatures

手指摸到的地方其实是 生活在我们的脸和手指上

that live on our face and fingers.

成千上万个微生物。

You're feeling some of the fungi

你还摸到了一些真菌，

that drifted down from the air ducts today.

正从空气管道里进来落在我们身上， 进入我们的呼吸道，我们身体里。

They set off our allergies

这些霉菌会引起我们过敏症状，

and smell of mildew.

还散发出难闻的气味。

You're feeling some of the 100 billion bacterial cells

你摸到的是生活在 我们皮肤上的一千多亿个

that live on our skin.

细菌细胞。

They've been munching away at your skin oils and replicating,

它们以我们皮肤上的油和汗为食 并以此繁衍它们的子孙，

producing the smells of body odor.

还形成了我们的体味。

You're likely even touching the fecal bacteria

你可能摸到的是你上次冲厕所时

that sprayed onto you the last time you flushed a toilet,

溅到你身上的大便细菌；

或者上次你洗澡时冲溅到你身上

or those bacteria that live in our water pipes

and sprayed onto you with your last shower.

那些隐居在我们排水管里的细菌。

Sorry.

抱歉（让你们感觉不适）了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You're probably even giving a microscopic high five

你摸脸时，其实是在帮助手上的螨虫和

to the two species of mites that live on our faces,

霸占了我们每个人容颜的

on all of our faces.

螨虫庆祝大会师。

They've spent the night squirming across your face

它们整夜的从你脸颊的一侧 欢歌曼舞到另一侧；

and having sex on the bridge of your nose.

还在你的鼻梁上繁衍。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Many of them are now leaking their gut contents onto your pores.

你的毛孔正在被它们的排泄物填满。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now look at your finger.

再看一看你的手指，

How's it feel? Gross?

你是什么感觉？ 恶心吗？

In desperate need of soap or bleach?

是不是急需用香皂或消毒液洗一洗？

That's how you feel now,

你们现在一定是这个感觉。

but it's not going to be how you feel in the future.

但是将来你们一定会有不同的感觉。

For the last 100 years,

在过去的一百年里，

we've had an adversarial relationship

我们一直以一种不共戴天的态度

with the microscopic life nearest us.

对待这些微生物。

If I told you there was a bug in your house

如果我说你们的房子里有虫子

或是你的洗手池里有细菌，

or bacteria in your sink,

there was a human-devised solution for that,

人们早就有了针对它们的解决方案，

a product to eradicate, exterminate,

驱虫或灭虫产品，

disinfect.

还有消毒产品。

We strive to remove most of the microscopic life in our world now.

我们一直在拼命去除生活在 我们世界里的这些微生物。

But in doing so, we're ignoring the best source of new technology

可是我们却不知道它们才是 地球上帮助发展新兴科技的

on this planet.

最好的资源。

The last 100 years have featured human solutions to microbial problems,

过去的一百年里见证了 人类如何解决微生物带来的问题，

但在未来的一百年里，微生物 会成为帮助我们解决难题的英雄。

but the next 100 years will feature microbial solutions to human problems.

I'm a scientist, and I work with researchers

我是名科学家，正和其他来自

at North Carolina State University and the University of Colorado

北卡罗兰那州立大学和 克罗拉多大学的科研人员

to uncover the microscopic life that is nearest us,

寻找与我们共生共处的微生物。

and that's often in our most intimate and boring environments,

它们总是潜伏于我们 最隐私和无人问津的角落，

be it under our couches, in our backyards,

比如沙发下面，房子的后院，

or in our belly buttons.

或者在我们的肚脐眼里。

I do this work because it turns out that we know very little

我做这个工作是因为我们不很了解

about the microscopic life that's nearest us.

那些与我们形影不离的微生物。

As of a few years ago, no scientist could tell you

多年前没有科学家能够知道

what bugs or microorganisms live in your home --

你的家有什么虫子和微生物——

your home, the place you know better than anywhere else.

你的家，相对于其他地方， 你最清楚你的家。

And so I and teams of others

于是，我与我的科研团队一起

are armed with Q-tips and tweezers

配足了各式的棉签和镊子

and advanced DNA techniques

和各种先进的基因技术设备，

to uncover the microscopic life nearest us.

开始了发掘微生物的征程。

In doing so, we found over 600 species of bugs

这一过程中我们发现了 600多种不同种类

生活在美国家庭里的虫子，

that live in USA homes,

everything from spiders and cockroaches

我们收集的虫子从各种蜘蛛，蟑螂

to tiny mites that cling to feathers.

到微小的粘在羽毛上的螨虫。

And we found over 100,000 species of bacteria and fungi

我们还找到了十万多种的细菌和真菌，

that live in our dust bunnies,

它们藏身于四处飞舞的灰尘颗粒中，

thousands more that live on our clothes or in our showers.

数千的微生物群居在我们的 衣服上或浴室里。

We've gone further still,

我们需要进一步探究这些微生物，

and we looked at the microorganisms

而且我们观察研究了一些

that live inside the bodies of each of those bugs in our home.

寄居于普通虫子体内的微生物。

In each bug, for example, a wasp,

在每只虫子的体内，比如一只黄蜂，

we see a microscopic jungle unfold in a petri plate,

我们从显微镜下看到装微生物的 培养皿上出现了一个微生物群落，

a world of hundreds of vibrant species.

数以百计的活生生的微生物种群。

Behold the biological cosmos!

那真是令人叹为观止的生物宇宙！

So many of the species you're looking at right now

你们看到的这张图片上的微生物，

don't yet have names.

都还没有名字。

Most of the life around us remains unknown.

因为我们根本不了解这些与我们 朝夕相处的微生物。

I remember the first time I discovered and got to name a new species.

我无法忘记我第一次发现并给一个 新物种起名字的时刻。

It was a fungus that lives in the nest of a paper wasp.

那是一种生活在胡峰窝里的真菌。

It's white and fluffy,

白色而且毛绒绒的，

and I named it "mucor nidicola,"

所以我给它起名叫“毛霉虫”，

meaning in Latin that it lives in the nest of another.

它的拉丁语意思是寄居在 其它虫子的窝里。

This is a picture of it growing on a dinosaur,

这是它和它寄居的恐龙的合影，

because everyone thinks dinosaurs are cool.

因为每个人都认为恐龙非常酷。

At the time, I was in graduate school,

那时我还在研究生院学习，

and I was so excited that I had found this new life form.

我发现了这个新的生命体，兴奋至极。

I called up my dad, and I go,

我马上给我父亲打电话，

"Dad! I just discovered a new microorganism species."

“爸爸！我刚刚发现了一个 新的微生物种。”

And he laughed and he goes,

他高兴的大笑，说，

"That's great. I hope you also discovered a cure for it."

"那太好了。我希望你也能研究出 对付它的办法。“

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Cure it."

”对付它。“

Now, my dad is my biggest fan,

现在，我的父亲是我最忠实的粉丝，

so in that crushing moment where he wanted to kill my new little life form,

在那令人崩溃的时刻，就是我父亲 想要杀死我新发现的小生命时，

I realized that actually I had failed him,

我才意识到我让他失望了，

both as a daughter and a scientist.

因为我不是好女儿也不是好科学家。

In my years toiling away in labs and in people's backyards,

当我在实验室和别人的后院里辛苦 研究和收集微生物的那些年，

investigating and cataloging the microscopic life around us,

当我忙于调查记录各种微生物种时，

I'd never made clear my true mission to him.

我从没有给他解释清楚 我真正的科研使命是什么。

My goal is not to find technology

我的目标不是发现新技术

to kill the new microscopic life around us.

去消灭那些生活在 我们周围的新微生物。

My goal is to find new technology from this life, that will help save us.

我的目标是研究新生命物种，从中找到 新技术，去帮助保护我们人类。

The diversity of life in our homes is more than a list of 100,000 new species.

每个家庭中，除了人和宠物以外， 还生活着十万多种新的物种。

It is 100,000 new sources of solutions to human problems.

我们就拥有十万个新方法来 解决人类的难题。

I know it's hard to believe that anything that's so small

我知道你很难相信那么小的生命体，

or only has one cell

甚至只有一个细胞，

怎么可能帮助解决人类的难题呢？

can do anything powerful,

but they can.

事实是，它们可以。

These creatures are microscopic alchemists,

这些微生命体是能够创造奇迹的 微生物炼金术士，

with the ability to transform their environment

能够运用自备的各种化学工具，

with an arsenal of chemical tools.

改变它们的生活环境。

This means that they can live anywhere on this planet,

这就是说它们可以生活在 地球上的任何地方，

and they can eat whatever food is around them.

而且它们可以以周围的任何食物为食。

This means they can eat everything from toxic waste to plastic,

这也意味着它们可以吃任何 有毒的废物或者塑料，

and they can produce waste products like oil and battery power

而且可以生产有用的产品， 像油和电力，

and even tiny nuggets of real gold.

甚至微小的真金块。

They can transform the inedible into nutritive.

它们可以把不能吃的东西改造成 有养分的东西。

They can make sugar into alcohol.

它们可以把糖转化成酒。

They give chocolate its flavor,

它们赋予巧克力诱人的味道，

and soil the power to grow.

并且改良土壤使万物生长。

I'm here to tell you

我希望你们知道，

在未来的100年会见证这些微生物

that the next 100 years will feature these microscopic creatures

solving more of our problems.

为我们解决更多的难题。

And we have a lot of problems to choose from.

目前我们有太多的困难需要解决。

We've got the mundane: bad-smelling clothes or bland food.

我们有一系列无关紧要的困难： 臭气熏天的衣服和平淡无味的食物。

And we've got the monumental:

我们还有一堆紧迫又棘手的问题：

disease, pollution, war.

疾病，污染，战争。

And so this is my mission:

所以，我的使命是

to not just catalog the microscopic life around us,

不仅要把与我们共处的 微生物分类编制成册；

but to find out what it's uniquely well-suited to help us with.

而且要从它们身上找到那些独特的， 适宜的特征来帮助我们。

Here's an example.

我给大家举个例子。

We started with a pest,

我们从一种害虫开始研究，

a wasp that lives on many of our homes.

很多人家的房子周围都有黄蜂出没。

Inside that wasp, we plucked out a little-known microorganism species

在黄蜂身体里，我们拔出来一些 不知是什么的微生物种，

with a unique ability:

它有一种特殊的本事：

it could make beer.

可以制作啤酒。

This is a trait that only a few species on this planet have.

在地球上只有不多的物种 具备这个特性。

In fact, all commercially produced beer you've ever had

实际上你喝过的所有商业话生产的啤酒

likely came from one of only three microorganism species.

很可能是从三种微生物种的 其中之一制作出来的。

Yet our species, it could make a beer that tasted like honey,

我们所发现的黄蜂体内的微生物种， 却能制作出带有蜂蜜味的啤酒，

and it could also make a delightfully tart beer.

而且它也可能制作出 令人愉悦的酸爽啤酒。

In fact, this microorganism species that lives in the belly of a wasp,

事实上这种寄居在黄蜂肚子里的微生物

it could make a valuable sour beer

酿造出的贵重的酸啤酒,

better than any other species on this planet.

比地球上任何其它的微生物种 制造的酸啤酒都更好。

There are now four species that produce commercial beer.

现在我们有四种微生物种可以 用于商业化的啤酒酿造了。

Where you used to see a pest,

以前你看到害虫，

now think of tasting your future favorite beer.

现在你会想到未来你最爱喝的啤酒。

As a second example,

还有第二个例子，

I worked with researchers to dig in the dirt in people's backyards.

我和几个研究人员在 一些人家的后院挖泥时，

There, we uncovered a microorganism that could make novel antibiotics,

发现了一种微生物可以 制成一种新奇的抗生素。

antibiotics that can kill the world's worst superbugs.

这种新型抗生素可以消灭 世界上最厉害的超级病菌。

This was an awesome thing to find,

这可是一件非常了不起的发现，

but here's the secret:

但是，有一个秘密：

for the last 60 years,

在过去的六十年里，

most of the antibiotics on the market

市场上的绝大多数抗生素

have come from similar soil bacteria.

都是来自类似的土壤细菌。

Every day, you and I and everyone in this room

每一天，你们和我，还有在这个 房间里的每一个人，

and on this planet,

在这个地球上的每一个人，

are saved by similar soil bacteria that produce most of our antibiotics.

都被这种能制成绝大多数抗生素的 类似土壤细菌保护着。

Where you used to see dirt,

以前你看到的只是泥土，

now think of medication.

现在你会想到救命的良药。

Perhaps my favorite example comes from colleagues

我最喜欢的例子是我同事正在研究的

who are studying a pond scum microorganism,

池塘表面浮沫中的微生物。

which is tragically named after the cow dung it was first found in.

这个微生物不幸被命名为“牛粪”， 因为它最早是在牛粪里找到。

It's pretty unremarkable and would be unworthy of discussion,

它非常普通，没有什么好谈的，

except that the researchers found that if you feed it to mice,

但有一点，研究人员发现， 如果你把它喂给老鼠吃，

it vaccinates against PTSD.

老鼠就会对创伤后的 应激障碍症有免疫力。

It vaccinates against fear.

也就是说老鼠会对恐惧有免疫力。

Where you used to see pond scum, now think of hope.

你们以前看到的池塘浮沫， 现在就会让你联想到希望。

There are so many more microbial examples

我还有更多微生物的例子,

that I don't have time to talk about today.

可是今天没有时间一一介绍。

I gave you examples of solutions that came from just three species,

我提到的那几个解决人类难题的例子 只是来自三个微生物种。

but imagine what those other 100,000 species in your dust bunnies

但是设想一下，那些生活在 灰尘颗粒上的数十万个微生物种

might be able to do.

可能完成的事情。

In the future, they might be able to make you sexier

将来，它们有可能会使你更性感，

or smarter

或者更聪明

or perhaps live longer.

或者更长寿。

So I want you to look at your finger again.

现在我要你们再看一看你们的手指，

Think about all those microscopic creatures

想一想所有这些还不为我们所知的

that are unknown.

微生物。

Think about in the future what they might be able to do

设想一下在未来，它们可能会 怎样帮助我们？

or make

或制造出什么？

or whose life they might be able to save.

或者它们可能会挽救谁的生命?

How does your finger feel right now?

你们的手指现在有什么感觉？

A little bit powerful?

是不是感到了一点点的力量？

That's because you're feeling the future.

那是因为你们正在感受未来。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）