Emma Teeling: The secret of the bat genome

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Ching Sze 審譯者: Joan Liu

What I want you all to do right now

我現在希望你們

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

思考一下我將描述的這哺乳動物。

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

我跟你們描述的第一項特徵，

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

是牠對我們生態系統是必要的。

If we remove this mammal from our ecosystems,

如果我們的生態系統缺少了這哺乳動物，

they simply will not work.

生態系統便不能運作。

That's the first thing.

這就是第一項特徵。

The second thing is that due to the unique sensory abilities

第二項特徵是出於這哺乳動物獨特的感官能力，

of this mammal, if we study this mammal,

如果我們研究這哺乳動物，

we're going to get great insight into our diseases

會對我們的感官疾病有深入了解，

of the senses, such as blindness and deafness.

如失明和失聰。

And the third really intriguing aspect of this mammal

而這哺乳動物的第三項奇妙特徵，

is that I fully believe that the secret of everlasting youth

我絕對相信這是保持青春的秘密，

lies deep within its DNA.

深入地埋藏在牠的脫氧核糖核酸(DNA)裡。

So are you all thinking?

你們所有人都在思考嗎？

So,

如此看來，

magnificent creature, isn't it?

這哺乳動物是隻很奇妙的生物，對嗎？

Who here thought of a bat?

在座各位誰想到是一隻蝙蝠？

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

嗯，我看到有一半的觀眾認同我，

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

即是我有大量的工作去說服其餘的觀眾。

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

在過去的20年來，

to study these fascinating and beautiful mammals.

我有幸地研究這些美麗迷人的哺乳動物。

One fifth of all living mammals is a bat,

世上五分之一的哺乳動物是蝙蝠，

and they have very unique attributes.

牠們有很獨特的特性。

Bats as we know them have been around on this planet

蝙蝠大約已在地球

for about 64 million years.

六千四百萬年，

One of the most unique things that bats do

其中一項最獨特的特性

as a mammal is that they fly.

是蝙蝠會飛。

Now flight is an inherently difficult thing.

飛行是天性困難的，

Flight within vertebrates has only evolved three times:

懂得飛行的無脊椎動物只形成了三次：

once in the bats, once in the birds,

一次是蝙蝠，一次是雀鳥，

and once in the pterodactyls.

和一次是翼手龍。

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

飛行十分消耗新陳代謝的能量。

Bats have learned and evolved how to deal with this.

蝙蝠學會並進化去處理這情況。

But one other extremely unique thing about bats

但蝙蝠另一個非常獨特的特點是

is that they are able to use sound

牠們懂得利用聲音去觀察環境。

to perceive their environment. They use echolocation.

牠們用回波定位。

Now, what I mean by echolocation --

現在，我說回波定位的意思是

they emit a sound from their larynx out through their mouth

牠們透過口或鼻，從喉頭發出一種聲音

or through their nose. This sound wave comes out

這聲波發出，

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

聲音反射和回響到蝙蝠周遭的物件上，

and the bats then hear these echoes

蝙蝠聽到這些回音，

and they turn this information into an acoustic image.

然後將這資訊轉化成聲像。

And this enables them to orient in complete darkness.

使牠們能夠在完全漆黑下定位。

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

的確，牠們看似很奇怪。我們是人類。

We're a visual species. When scientists first realized

我們是有視覺的生物。當科學家第一次發現

that bats were actually using sound to be able to fly

蝙蝠其實是利用聲音令牠們能夠飛行

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

及在黑夜中定位和移動，我們不相信。

For a hundred years, despite evidence to show

一百多年來，即使有證據顯示

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

這是蝙蝠的行為，我們都不相信。

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

現在，如果你看看這蝙蝠，牠有點像外星人。

Indeed, the very famous philosopher Thomas Nagel

甚至，很有名的哲學家湯瑪斯．內格爾曾經說：

once said, "To truly experience an alien life form

「在地球上，要真正經歷外星人的生活，

on this planet, you should lock yourself inside a room

你應該把自己和一隻懂飛及利用迴波定位的蝙蝠

with a flying, echolocating bat in complete darkness."

鎖在全完漆黑的房間裡。」

And if you look at the actual physical characteristics

如果你從這美麗的菊頭蝠的臉上，

on the face of this beautiful horseshoe bat,

看到牠的身體特徵，

you see a lot of these characteristics are dedicated

你看到牠很多的身體特徵是用來

to be able to make sound and perceive it.

發出和觀察聲音。

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

大耳朵，奇怪的鼻葉，但很細少的眼睛。

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

再者，如果你只是看這隻蝙蝠，

sound is very important for its survival.

你會發現聲音對生存很重要。

Most bats look like the previous one.

大部分的蝙蝠看起來像之前一隻。

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

但是，有一類蝙蝠不用回音定位法。

They do not perceive their environment using sound,

牠們不會利用聲音來觀察環境，

and these are the flying foxes.

這類是狐蝠。

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

如果有人有幸地到過澳洲，

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

你會在雪梨的植物園看到牠們。

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

如果你只是看牠們的臉，

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

你可以看到牠們有更大的眼睛和耳朵。

So among and within bats is a huge variation

所以利用感官觀察環境的能力

in their ability to use sensory perception.

在蝙蝠間存在很大的差異。

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

這部分對我稍後會談及的演講

to tell you later during the talk.

是重要的。

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

現在，如果這古怪的觀點令你害怕，

and I know some people probably are feeling a little sick

我也知道有些人看到蝙蝠的大圖像，

looking at very large images of bats,

應該會感到噁心，

that's probably not that surprising,

這不是令人意外的，

because here in Western culture,

因為在西方的文化中，

bats have been demonized.

蝙蝠被描繪成魔鬼。

Really, of course the famous book "Dracula,"

實際上，當然著名的小說《德古拉》

written by a fellow Northside Dubliner Bram Stoker,

由一個北方的都柏林人布拉姆．斯托克所寫，

probably is mainly responsible for this.

應該為此負上大部分的責任。

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

但是，我亦認為這是由於

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

蝙蝠在夜間出現的事實，

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

我們不是很了解牠們。我們有點懼怕

that can perceive the world slightly differently than us.

跟我們察覺世界方法不同的事物。

Bats are usually synonymous with some type of evil events.

蝙蝠經常等同某些邪惡的事件。

They are the perpetrators in horror movies,

在恐怖電影中，牠們是行兇者，

such as this famous "Nightwing."

如著名電影《夜翼》。

Also, if you think about it, demons

而且，如果你思考一下，

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

魔鬼經常有蝙蝠翼，而雀鳥，牠們通常

or angels have bird wings.

或天使擁有鳥的翅膀。

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

現在，這是西方社會，我今晚想做的是

is to convince you of the Chinese traditional culture,

利用中國傳統文化說服你們，

that they perceive bats as

他們理解蝙蝠是

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

會帶來好運的生物，而的確，

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

如果你到中國人的家，你會看到這類的圖像。

This is considered the Five Blessings.

這是五福。

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

中文字中的「蝙蝠」，聲音像中文字

for "happiness," and they believe that bats

「幸福」，他們相信蝙蝠

bring wealth, health, longevity, virtue and serenity.

會帶來財富，健康，長壽，好德，平安。

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

而的確，在此圖像中，你看到這張長壽的照片

surrounded by five bats.

被五隻蝙蝠圍繞。

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

而我今夜想跟你會說

and to show you that at least three of these blessings

和證明給你們看至少三福

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

是代表著蝙蝠，如果我們研究蝙蝠，

we will get nearer to getting each of these blessings.

我們會距離這些福更近。

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

那麼，財富--蝙蝠怎為我們帶來財富？

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

現在，如同我之前所說的， 蝙蝠對我們的生態系統很重要；

to function correctly. And why is this?

令我們生態系統有效地運作。為甚麼如此？

Bats in the tropics are major pollinators of many plants.

在熱帶的蝙蝠是許多植物主要傳播花粉的媒介。

They also feed on fruit, and they disperse the seeds

牠們亦以水果為食物，牠們把水果的種子傳播。

of these fruits. Bats are responsible for pollinating

蝙蝠負責傳播龍舌蘭植物的花粉，

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

而這在墨西哥中是數百萬元的工業。

in Mexico. So indeed, we need them

所以的確，我們需要牠們

for our ecosystems to function properly.

令我們的生態系統正常運作。

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

沒有牠們，這將會是一個問題。

But most bats are voracious insect predators.

但大部分的蝙蝠也是貪食的昆蟲掠奪者。

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

在美國，估計一個細小的大棕蝠族群，

of big brown bats, that they will feed

牠們一年會吃

on over a million insects a year,

超過一百萬隻昆蟲，

and in the United States of America, right now

在美國，現在

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

蝙蝠受到一種名為白鼻子綜合症的疫病威脅。

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

以很慢的速度遍佈美國，

populations of bats, and scientists have estimated

毀滅蝙蝠的總數，科學家估計

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

因為蝙蝠的減少，

remaining in the ecosystems due to the loss of bats.

每年有1,300公噸的昆蟲存活在生態系統中。

Bats are also threatened in the U.S.

蝙蝠在美國亦受到

by their attraction to wind farms. Again, right now

風力發電廠的引力威脅。再者，現在

bats are looking at a little bit of a problem.

蝙蝠看來有點問題。

They're going to -- They are very threatened

牠們即將--牠們光在美國

in the United States of America alone.

就受到極大的威脅。

Now how can this help us?

現在這怎幫助我們？

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

嗯，根據計算，如果蝙蝠消失了，

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

我們將必須用

insecticides to remove all those pest insects

殺蟲劑去除掉

that feed on our agricultural crops.

吃掉我們農作物的昆蟲。

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

如果我們失去了蝙蝠，據估計，光是在美國，

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

一年就需要多耗用220億美元，

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

所以確實地，蝙蝠為我們帶來財富。

They maintain the health of our ecosystems,

牠們維持我們生態系統的健康，

and also they save us money.

和節省我們的金錢。

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

再者，這是第一個祝福。蝙蝠

for our ecosystems.

對我們生態系統很重要。

And what about the second? What about health?

而第二福？健康又怎樣呢？

Inside every cell in your body lies your genome.

在你身體裡每個細胞中有你的基因體。

Your genome is made up of your DNA,

你的基因體是由DNA組成的。

your DNA codes for proteins that enable you to function

你的DNA是你的蛋白質代碼，

and interact and be as you are.

這些蛋白質使你成為現在的樣子。

Now since the new advancements in modern molecular technologies,

由於現在先進的分子科技,

it is now possible for us to sequence our own genome

現在我們可以以很快的時間和很低的成本，

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

排列自己的基因體

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

現在當我們這樣做時，我們會發現

that there's variations within our genome.

我們基因體中的差異。

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

所以我要你看看坐在你身旁的那位。

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

就很快地看一看，我們需要知道的是

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

DNA中每300個鹼基對，你們就有點不同了。

And one of the grand challenges right now

而在現今分子醫學中，

in modern molecular medicine is to work out

其中一個重大的挑戰是找出

whether this variation makes you more susceptible to diseases,

這差異是否令你更容易患上疾病

or does this variation just make you different?

或只是令你與其他人不同？

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

再者，這代表甚麼？這差異其實代表甚麼？

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

所以如果我們在未來幾年利用所有

new molecular data and personalized genomic information

在網上可以得到的

that is coming online that we will be able to have

最新分子數據和個人的基因資料，

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

我們必須要能夠分辨出

between the two. So how do we do this?

這兩種的不同。而我們怎樣做到呢？

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

嗯，我相信我們只須看自然環境的實驗。

So through natural selection, over time,

所以透過天擇，隨年累月，

mutations, variations that disrupt the function of a protein

阻擾蛋白質功能的基因突變

will not be tolerated over time.

隨著時間而被淘汰。

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

進化充當過濾器。它篩走了不良的變異。

And so therefore, if you look at the same region

所以，如果你看已進化成不同種類

of a genome in many mammals that have been

的哺乳動物的基因體中

evolutionarily distant from each other

的同一區塊，

and are also ecologically divergent, you will get a better

且已經在生態上分歧，你會

understanding of what the evolutionary prior of that site is,

更明白這個區塊進化前的狀況，

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

即如果這是對哺乳動物的生存重要，

for its survival, it will be the same

則在所有不同的後裔、品系、分類中，

in all of those different lineages, species, taxa.

牠們的基因會一樣。

So therefore, if we were to do this,

所以，如果我們要研究這個，

what we'd need to do is sequence that region

我們需要做的是將所有不同哺乳動物的基因組排序

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

以及確定它們是一樣或不同。

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

所以如果基因組相同，

this indicates that that site is important for a function,

這代表那區對某項功能是重要的，

so a disease mutation should fall within that site.

所以某疾病變化會落在這區上。

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

所以在這情況，如果我們觀察的所有哺乳動物

have a yellow-type genome at that site,

在這區中有黃類基因體，

it probably suggests that purple is bad.

這大概代表這紫類基因是不良的。

This could be even more powerful if you look at mammals

有如你看看哺乳動物，牠們做的事有些微不同

that are doing things slightly differently.

這證據會更有力。

So say, for example, the region of the genome

所以假設，例如，我觀察這區的基因體

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

是對視力重要的區域。

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

如果我們觀察那些視力不好的哺乳動物的基因組區，

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

如蝙蝠，我們發現蝙蝠視力不好

have the purple type, we know that this is probably

有紫類基因，我們知道這大概是

what's causing this disease.

疾病的原因。

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

所以在我的實驗室，我們已透過蝙蝠

types of diseases of the senses.

觀察出兩種不同的感官疾病。

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

我們觀察失明。現在為甚麼你要這樣做？

Three hundred and fourteen million people are visually impaired, and

三億一千四百萬人視力受損，

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

當中有四千五百萬人失明。所以失明是個嚴重的問題，

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

而有很多失明失調的問題都是遺傳疾病。

so we want to try and better understand

所以我們希望能夠

which mutations in the gene cause the disease.

更了解哪種基因變化導致疾病。

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

我們也研究失聰。在每一千個初生嬰兒中，

newborn babies are deaf, and when we reach 80,

有一個失聰，而當我們八十歲時，

over half of us will also have a hearing problem.

一半以上的人會有聽力問題。

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

再次的，這是很多不同基因引起的。

So what we've been doing in my lab

所以在我的實驗室裡，

is looking at these unique sensory specialists, the bats,

我們正在觀察這些獨特的感官專家--蝙蝠，

and we have looked at genes that cause blindness

我們觀察基因中有缺陷

when there's a defect in them,

而引致失明，

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

當基因中有缺陷而引致失聰，

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

現在我們預測哪些區域最有可能引發疾病。

So bats are also important for our health,

所以蝙蝠亦對我們的健康很重要，

to enable us to better understand how our genome functions.

令我們更明白我們的基因體怎樣運作。

So this is where we are right now,

這就是我們現在的情況，

but what about the future?

但未來又怎樣呢？

What about longevity?

長壽又怎樣呢？

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

這是我們將會研究的，如我之前所述，

I really believe that the secret of everlasting youth

我真的相信年輕的秘密

lies within the bat genome.

隱藏在蝙蝠的基因體中。

So why should we be interested in aging at all?

而我們為甚麼對衰老感興趣？

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

嗯，真的，這是1500年代的一幅

of the Fountain of Youth. Aging is considered

有關青春泉源的畫。衰老在生物學中被認為是

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

其中一種最熟識，但最不了解的一範疇，

aspects of all of biology, and really,

而真的，

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

自文明以來，人類一直找方法去避免衰老。

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

但我們將會更了解它。

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

只是在歐洲，到2050年，

a 70 percent increase of individuals over 65,

60歲以上的人將會上升70個百分點，

and 170 percent increase in individuals over 80.

80歲以上的人將會上升170個百分點。

As we age, we deteriorate, and this deterioration

當我們漸漸衰老，我們退化，這退化

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

對我們社會造成問題，所以我們要面對它。

So how could the secret of everlasting youth actually lie

而青春的秘密實際上怎樣

within the bat genome? Does anybody want to hazard

隱藏在基因體內？有誰想大膽地

a guess over how long this bat could live for?

猜測蝙蝠可以生存多久？

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

誰--舉起手的人--誰說2年？

Nobody? One? How about 10 years?

沒有？1位？那麼10年？

Some? How about 30?

有些？那麼30年？

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

40年？不錯，各有不同的反應。

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

這蝙蝠是布氏鼠耳蝠。牠是最長壽的蝙蝠。

It lived for up to 42 years,

牠的壽命長達42年，

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

這蝙蝠至今仍生存在野外中。

But what would be so amazing about this?

但有甚麼驚人呢？

Well, typically, in mammals there is a relationship

嗯，正常地，哺乳動物中

between body size, metabolic rate,

體型大小，新陳代謝率

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

和你的壽命之間有關聯，如果知道某哺乳動物的體型大小

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

你可以預測牠可以存活多久。

So typically, small mammals live fast, die young.

所以一般而言，體型細小的哺乳動物很快很早便死去，

Think of a mouse. But bats are very different.

想一想老鼠。蝙蝠卻很不同。

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

如你看到的這圖表，

these are all other mammals, but bats

藍色代表所有其他的哺乳動物，但蝙蝠

can live up to nine times longer than expected

超出預期的壽命9倍，

despite having a really, really high metabolic rate,

即使牠們有一個很高的新陳代謝率，

and the question is, how can they do that?

而問題是，牠們怎樣做到的呢？

There are 19 species of mammal that live longer

根據體型大小，有19類的哺乳動物中比預期

than expected, given their body size, than man,

更長壽，比人類更長壽，

and 18 of those are bats.

而其中18種是蝙蝠。

So therefore, they must have something within their DNA

所以，牠們DNA中一定有點甚麼

that ables them to deal with the metabolic stresses,

減低牠們新陳代謝的壓力，

particularly of flight. They expend three times more energy

尤其是飛行。牠們的預期的能量

than a mammal of the same size,

是同體型中的哺乳動物的3偣。

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

但似乎沒有受到其後果或影響。

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

所以現在，在我的實驗室，我們正在結合

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

先進的蝙蝠生物學，出外和捕捉

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

長壽的蝙蝠，以最新

modern molecular technology to understand better

最先進的分子科技來更了解

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

牠們怎樣來停止衰老，如我們一樣。

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

而希望在未來5年，我會再在TED講這題目。

Aging is a big problem for humanity,

衰老是人類的一個大問題，

and I believe that by studying bats, we can uncover

而我相信研究蝙蝠，我們可以發現

the molecular mechanisms that enable mammals

令哺乳動物非常十分長壽的分子結構。

to achieve extraordinary longevity. If we find out

如果我們找出

what they're doing, perhaps through gene therapy,

蝙蝠怎樣做，可能透過基因治療，

we can enable us to do the same thing.

我們可以同樣達到長壽。

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

這代表我們可能可以停止衰老或者返老還童。

Just imagine what that would be like.

想像這是怎樣境界。

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

所以我真的，我不相信我們要把牠們想像成

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

夜間飛來飛去的魔鬼，而是我們的超級英雄。

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

而現實是如果我們正確地看

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

蝙蝠可以帶來很多好處。牠們對我們生態系統有利，

they allow us to understand how our genome functions,

牠們讓我們了解我們的基因體如何運作，

and they potentially hold the secret to everlasting youth.

以及牠們有可能擁有保持青春的秘密。

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

所以今天晚上，當你離開這裡，你抬頭看

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

晚上的星空，你看到美麗飛來飛去的哺乳動物，

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

我希望你會笑。多謝。（掌聲）