Janet Iwasa: How animations can help scientists test a hypothesis

譯者: Rowena Weng 審譯者: Justine Bai

Take a look at this drawing.

請大家看這張圖

Can you tell what it is?

你知道這是什麼嗎？

I'm a molecular biologist by training,

我是一個分子生物學家

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

我看過很多這種圖

They're usually referred to as a model figure,

通常是分子模型圖

a drawing that shows how we think

用來說明

a cellular or molecular process occurs.

細胞或分子的分裂過程

This particular drawing is of a process

這張圖是在說明

called clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

一個由網格蛋白介導的胞吞作用的過程

It's a process by which a molecule can get

透過這個過程

from the outside of the cell to the inside

一個分子可以從細胞外進入細胞內

by getting captured in a bubble or a vesicle

它先被一個泡囊包覆

that then gets internalized by the cell.

然後再被吞入細胞內

There's a problem with this drawing, though,

但是 這張圖有一個問題

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

而且從圖中看不出來

From lots of experiments,

從許多實驗

from lots of different scientists,

以及科學家的研究中

we know a lot about what these molecules look like,

我們知道這些分子長什麼樣子

how they move around in the cell,

知道它們如何在細胞內移動

and that this is all taking place

而且這都發生在

in an incredibly dynamic environment.

令人難以置信的動態環境中

So in collaboration with a clathrin expert Tomas Kirchhausen,

因此 我們和網格蛋白專家 Tomas Kirchhausen合作

we decided to create a new kind of model figure

要創造一種新的分子模型圖

that showed all of that.

來說明一切

So we start outside of the cell.

我們從細胞外開始

Now we're looking inside.

現在我們來看細胞內

Clathrin are these three-legged molecules

這些三隻腳的分子是網格蛋白

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

它們可以自我組成像足球的形狀

Through connections with a membrane,

透過與細胞膜的連結

clathrin is able to deform the membrane

網格蛋白會使連結膜變形

and form this sort of a cup

形成這種杯子狀

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

然後形成這種小泡

that's now capturing some of the proteins

並開始吞入

that were outside of the cell.

原本在細胞外的蛋白質

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

被吞入的蛋白質

making it separate from the rest of the membrane,

將小泡與膜分離

and now clathrin is basically done with its job,

此時網格蛋白的任務基本上已完成

and so proteins are coming in now —

蛋白質已進入細胞內

we've covered them yellow and orange —

我們用黃色和橘色表示

that are responsible for taking apart this clathrin cage.

它們負責將網格蛋白分解

And so all of these proteins can get basically recycled

基本上所有這些蛋白質

and used all over again.

可以回收再利用

These processes are too small to be seen directly,

這些過程太小以致於無法直接觀察

even with the best microscopes,

即使用最好的顯微鏡也看不到

so animations like this provide a really powerful way

因此 這樣的動畫提供了一個好方法

of visualizing a hypothesis.

使科學假設可視化

Here's another illustration,

這裡還有一張圖

and this is a drawing of how a researcher might think

這張圖說明了研究人員

that the HIV virus gets into and out of cells.

是如何想像HIV病毒進出細胞內外的

And again, this is a vast oversimplification

但這是個過於簡單的說明

and doesn't begin to show

並沒有表達出

what we actually know about these processes.

我們實際上對這些過程的了解

You might be surprised to know

你可能覺得訝異

that these simple drawings are the only way

這些簡單的圖竟是

that most biologists visualize their molecular hypotheses.

大部分生物學家 畫出分子假設的唯一方法

Why?

為什麼？

Because creating movies of processes

因為 依照我們認為的實際過程

as we think they actually occur is really hard.

來設計這些移動是非常困難的

I spent months in Hollywood learning 3D animation software,

我花了幾個月 在好萊塢學習3D動畫軟體

and I spend months on each animation,

每個動畫又各花費了我一段時間

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

而大部分研究人員 並沒有時間去學習

The payoffs can be huge, though.

不過 這個報酬是可觀的

Molecular animations are unparalleled

分子動畫無與倫比

in their ability to convey a great deal of information

它可以向大眾傳達豐富的資訊

to broad audiences with extreme accuracy.

並且準確無誤

And I'm working on a new project now

我正在進行一個新的計畫

called "The Science of HIV"

叫做"HIV的科學"

where I'll be animating the entire life cycle

我會以動畫盡可能準確地呈現出

of the HIV virus as accurately as possible

HIV病毒的完整生命循環

and all in molecular detail.

以及詳細的分子資訊

The animation will feature data

這個動畫將呈現出

from thousands of researchers collected over decades,

眾多研究人員 數十年來蒐集到的資料

data on what this virus looks like,

包括病毒長什麼樣子

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

它如何感染我們體內的細胞

and how therapeutics are helping to combat infection.

以及醫學治療如何幫助我們對付感染

Over the years, I found that animations

多年來 我發現

aren't just useful for communicating an idea,

動畫不僅可協助溝通

but they're also really useful

更有助於

for exploring a hypothesis.

探討假設

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

生物學家大多仍在使用紙筆

to visualize the processes they study,

畫出他們所研究的過程

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

但以我們現在擁有的資料來說 這種方式不再足夠

The process of creating an animation

設計動畫的過程

can act as a catalyst that allows researchers

可以促進研究人員

to crystalize and refine their own ideas.

將自己的想法具體化 並進一步精煉

One researcher I worked with

有一名我合作過的研究人員

who works on the molecular mechanisms

她的研究是

of neurodegenerative diseases

神經退化性疾病的分子機制

came up with experiments that were related

她想出一些實驗

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

跟我們共同創作的動畫相關

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

這使得動畫可以回饋在研究過程上

I believe that animation can change biology.

我相信動畫可以改變生物學

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

它可以改變我們的溝通方式

how we explore our data

研究數據的方式

and how we teach our students.

以及教育學生的方式

But for that change to happen,

但是要讓這樣的改變發生

we need more researchers creating animations,

我們需要更多的研究人員去設計動畫

and toward that end, I brought together a team

因此 我發起組成了一個團隊

of biologists, animators and programmers

包括生物學家 動畫人員以及程式人員

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

設計一個新的 免費的 開放原始碼的軟體

we call it Molecular Flipbook —

我們稱為"分子的Flipbook"

that's created just for biologists

專門讓生物學家使用

just to create molecular animations.

用於設計分子動畫

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

從測試中 我們發現只需要15分鐘

for a biologist who has never touched animation software before

就可以使從未接觸過動畫軟體的生物學家

to create her first molecular animation

設計出她的第一個分子動畫

of her own hypothesis.

來說明她的研究假設

We're also building an online database

我們也在建置線上資料庫

where anyone can view, download and contribute

任何人都可以瀏覽 下載

their own animations.

以及分享他們自己的動畫

We're really excited to announce

我們很興奮地要告訴大家

that the beta version of the molecular animation

這個分子動畫軟體工具包的試用版

software toolkit will be available for download today.

在今天就可以下載使用

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

我們很期待生物學家的創作

and what new insights they're able to gain

以及他們可以獲得什麼樣的新啟發

from finally being able to animate

而這個啟發來自於

their own model figures.

得以將自己的分子模型以動畫來呈現

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）