How we're harnessing nature's hidden superpowers | Oded Shoseyov

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: 瑞文Eleven 林Lim

Two hundred years of modern science.

現代科學兩百年。

We have to admit

我們不得不承認

that our performance is not great.

我們的表現不怎麼好。

The machines we build continue to suffer from mechanical failures.

我們建造的機器老是故障。

The houses we build do not survive severe earthquakes.

我們蓋的房子無法承受強烈地震。

But we shouldn't be so critical of our scientists for a simple reason:

但我們不應苛責科學家，原因很簡單：

they didn't have much time.

他們的時間有限。

Two hundred years is not a lot of time,

兩百年並不長；

while nature had three billion years

大自然花了三十多億年

to perfect some of the most amazing materials,

使若干材料臻於完美，

that we wish we had in our possession.

完美到我們希望擁有。

Remember, these materials carry a quality assurance

切記，

這些材料有著三十億年的品質保證。

of three billion years.

Take, for example, sequoia trees.

以紅杉為例：

They carry hundreds of tons for hundreds of years

它們幾百年來載重數百噸，

in cold weather, in warm climates,

不論是天冷、天暖，

UV light.

或被紫外線照射。

Yet, if you look at the structure by high-resolution electron microscopy,

若你用高倍率電子顯微鏡 觀察它的結構，

and you ask yourself, what is it made of,

納悶它是什麼東西做成的？

surprisingly, it's made of sugar.

結果出人意表，它的成分是糖。

Well, not exactly as we drink in our tea.

但不完全等同我們飲料裡的糖。

It's actually a nanofiber called nanocrystalline cellulose.

而實際上是一種被稱為 「奈米纖維素」的奈米纖維。

And this nanocrystalline cellulose is so strong, on a weight basis,

這種奈米纖維素的不凡強度，

是同等重量鋼材強度的十倍。

it's about 10 times stronger than steel.

Yet it's made of sugar.

然而，它的組成是糖。

So scientists all over the world believe that nanocellulose

因此，全世界的科學家咸信

奈米纖維素將會成為 整個工業最重要的材料之一。

is going to be one of the most important materials for the entire industry.

But here's the problem:

但有個問題：

say you want to buy a half a ton of nanocellulose

假設你要買半噸的奈米纖維素，

to build a boat or an airplane.

用來造船或飛機。

Well, you can Google, you can eBay, you can even Alibaba.

你可以上Google、eBay， 甚至阿里巴巴的網站搜尋。

（笑聲）

You won't find it.

你找不到的。

Of course, you're going to find thousands of scientific papers --

當然你會找到數以千計的科學論文，

great papers, where scientists are going to say this is a great material,

很棒的論文，

科學家在文中描述這種美好的物質，

there are lots of things we can do with it.

以及它們的眾多用途。

But no commercial source.

但是，沒有用於商業的材料來源。

So we at the Hebrew University, together with our partners in Sweden,

因此，我們希伯來大學 與瑞典的夥伴合作，

decided to focus on the development of an industrial-scale process

決定專注於開發能以工業規模

to produce this nanocellulose.

大量生產這種奈米纖維素的製程。

And, of course, we didn't want to cut trees.

而且當然不要砍伐樹木，

而是從其他源頭尋找原料。

So we were looking for another source

of raw material,

and we found one -- in fact, the sludge of the paper industry.

我們找到了，

找到的是造紙業的廢渣。

The reason: there is a lot of it.

原因是：它的量很充足。

Europe alone produces 11 million tons

僅歐洲一地，每年就產生 一千一百噸的廢渣。

of that material annually.

It's the equivalent of a mountain three kilometers high,

相當於聳立在足球場中高三公里的山。

sitting on a soccer field.

And we produce this mountain every year.

並且每年產出一座高山。

So for everybody, it's an environmental problem,

對每個人而言，它是個環境問題；

and for us, it's a gold mine.

對我們而言，卻是個金礦。

So now, we are actually producing, on an industrial scale in Israel,

現在，我們已在以色列 以工業的規模生產奈米纖維素，

nanocellulose, and very soon, in Sweden.

也即將在瑞典大量生產。

We can do a lot of things with the material.

這材料有許多用途。

For example,

例如，

we have shown that by adding only a small percent of nanocellulose

我們已展示過，

在我們穿的襯衫棉纖維裡， 添加少許奈米纖維素，

into cotton fibers, the same as my shirt is made of,

it increases its strength dramatically.

它的強度就會大大地增加。

So this can be used for making amazing things,

因此，它可被很奇妙地應用在

like super-fabrics for industrial and medical applications.

像工業或醫療之類的超級纖維。

But this is not the only thing.

不僅這樣，

For example, self-standing, self-supporting structures,

例如，能支撐自己、靠自身挺立的結構，

like the shelters that you can see now,

如同你現在看到的避難所，

actually are now showcasing in the Venice Biennale for Architecture.

正在威尼斯建築雙年展中展示。

Nature actually didn't stop its wonders

大自然的奇蹟不僅止在植物王國，

in the plant kingdom.

Think about insects.

舉個昆蟲的例子：

Cat fleas, for example,

貓蚤

have the ability to jump about a hundred times their height.

能夠跳至數百倍於它身長的高度。

That's amazing.

太棒了。

It's the equivalent of a person

等同於一個人

standing in the middle of Liberty Island in New York,

站在紐約的自由島中間，

and in a single jump,

一跳就跳至自由女神像的最高點。

going to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

I'm sure everybody would like to do that.

相信每個人都願擁有這能力。

So the question is:

所以，問題是：

How do cat fleas do it?

貓蚤是如何辦到的呢？

It turns out, they make this wonderful material,

原來它自身產出這種奇妙的材料，

which is called resilin.

名為「節肢彈性蛋白」。

In simple words, resilin, which is a protein,

簡單地說，節肢彈性蛋白 是一種蛋白質，

is the most elastic rubber on Earth.

是地球上最有彈性的橡膠。

You can stretch it,

你可以伸展它，

you can squish it,

可以壓擠它，

and it doesn't lose almost any energy to the environment.

而它幾乎不會流失任何的能量。

When you release it -- snap!

一旦你放手，驟然間，

It brings back all the energy.

它所有的能量全回來了。

So I'm sure everybody would like to have that material.

相信每個人都希望擁有它。

But here's the problem:

但有個問題：

to catch cat fleas is difficult.

很難捉得到貓蚤。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Why? Because they are jumpy.

為何呢？

因為它們很會跳、神經過敏。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But now, it's actually enough to catch one.

實際上，抓住一隻就夠了。

Now we can extract its DNA

今日我們已可提取它的DNA，

and read how cat fleas make the resilin,

解讀出貓蚤如何產生節肢彈性蛋白，

and clone it into a less-jumpy organism like a plant.

然後複製於不怎麼會跳的生物體，

例如植物。

So that's exactly what we did.

這正是我們的做法。

Now we have the ability to produce lots of resilin.

我們現有能力製造出 大量的節肢彈性蛋白。

Well, my team decided to do something really cool at the university.

我的大學團隊決定做更酷的事。

They decided to combine

他們決定合併

the strongest material produced by the plant kingdom

植物王國中最強韌的物質

with the most elastic material produced by the insect kingdom --

與昆蟲王國中最具彈性的材料，

nanocellulose with resilin.

也就是合併奈米纖維素與節肢彈性蛋白。

And the result is amazing.

結果非常驚人。

This material, in fact, is tough, elastic and transparent.

製成的材料堅韌、具彈性且透明。

So there are lots of things that can be done with this material.

因此，這種材料的用途極廣。

For example, next-generation sport shoes,

例如，下一代的運動鞋

so we can jump higher, run faster.

可以跳得更高、跑得更快。

And even touch screens for computers and smartphones,

或者用於電腦和 智慧型手機的觸控螢幕，

that won't break.

摔不破。

Well, the problem is, we continue to implant

有個醫療的問題，

是我們一向把合成物植入身體裡面，

synthetic implants in our body,

which we glue and screw into our body.

用膠水黏，或用螺絲鎖住。

And I'm going to say that this is not a good idea.

我認為這不是好主意。

Why? Because they fail.

為什麼？因為這樣做不成功。

This synthetic material fails,

有的合成材料失敗，

just like this plastic fork,

就像這只塑料叉子，

that is not strong enough for its performance.

性能不夠強。

But sometimes they are too strong,

但有的合成材料力道太強，

and therefore their mechanical properties do not really fit

它們的機械性能和周圍組織不相配。

their surrounding tissues.

But in fact, the reason is much more fundamental.

但事實上有更根本的原因。

The reason is that in nature,

原因是，在本質上，

there is no one there

沒有人的頭

that actually takes my head and screws it onto my neck,

是用螺絲釘鎖在脖子上，

or takes my skin and glues it onto my body.

或者皮膚是以膠水黏著於身體。

In nature, everything is self-assembled.

自然界中，一切自組、渾然天成。

So every living cell,

每一個活細胞，

whether coming from a plant, insect or human being,

無論是植物、昆蟲或人類的，

has a DNA that encodes for nanobio building blocks.

其 DNA 具有奈米級的 微小生物基礎架構。

Many times they are proteins.

基礎架構通常是蛋白質，

Other times, they are enzymes that make other materials,

其他時候則是酶，

組成像多醣、脂肪酸等其他材料。

like polysaccharides, fatty acids.

And the common feature about all these materials

這些材料的和共同特性是：

is that they need no one.

它們無需其他材料或助力。

They recognize each other and self-assemble

它們彼此認識，

能自行組裝、疊架、增生擴散

into structures -- scaffolds on which cells are proliferating

to give tissues.

成為細胞組織。

They develop into organs, and together bring life.

它們發育成器官，共同帶來生命。

So we at the Hebrew University, about 10 years ago, decided to focus

因此大約十年前，我們希伯來大學

決定重點開發「膠原蛋白」

on probably the most important biomaterial for humans,

這種可能是人類最重要的生物材料。

which is collagen.

Why collagen?

為什麼開發膠原蛋白？

Because collagen accounts for about 25 percent of our dry weight.

因為人體去掉水分之外的體重， 膠原蛋白約佔25％。

We have nothing more than collagen, other than water, in our body.

在我們的身體裡， 只有水的重量超過膠原蛋白。

So I always like to say,

所以我常說，

anyone who is in the replacement parts of human beings

任何更換的人體部位

would like to have collagen.

都要用到膠原蛋白。

Admittedly, before we started our project,

誠然，在開始我們的計劃之前，

there were already more than 1,000 medical implants

已有超過一千種醫用植入物

made of collagen.

是由膠原做成的。

You know, simple things like dermal fillers to reduce wrinkles,

簡單的像是減少皺紋的皮膚填充物、

augment lips,

厚唇填充物等等；

and other, more sophisticated medical implants, like heart valves.

複雜的像是心臟瓣膜 之類的醫療植入物。

So where is the problem?

那麼問題出在哪兒呢？

Well, the problem is the source.

問題是來源。

The source of all that collagen

目前所有的膠原蛋白來源

is actually coming from dead bodies:

實際上取自屍體，例如：

dead pigs, dead cows

死豬、死牛，

and even human cadavers.

甚至人類的大體。

So safety is a big issue.

因此，安全是個大問題，

But it's not the only one.

但不是唯一的問題，

Also, the quality.

質量也是問題。

Now here, I have a personal interest.

我有切身的興趣和需求。

This is my father, Zvi, in our winery in Israel.

這是家父茲維，背景是 我們在以色列的釀酒廠。

A heart valve, very similar to the one that I showed you before,

一片像我稍早展示的心臟瓣膜，

seven years ago, was implanted in his body.

在七年前植入他的身體。

Now, the scientific literature says that these heart valves start to fail

科學文獻載明：

這些心臟瓣膜在手術後 十年就會漸漸損壞。

10 years after the operation.

No wonder:

也難怪，

they are made from old, used tissues,

它們是用老舊的組織製成的，

just like this wall made of bricks that is falling apart.

如同這片舊磚牆的磚塊分崩離析。

Yeah, of course, I can take those bricks and build a new wall.

雖然我能用這些磚塊重新砌牆，

But it's not going to be the same.

但它無法復原成原狀。

So the US Food and Drug Administration

所以美國食品和藥物管理局

made a notice already in 2007,

已在2007年通知那些公司

asking the companies to start to look for better alternatives.

務必開始尋找更好的替代品。

So that's exactly what we did.

我們正是在尋找替代品。

We decided to clone all the five human genes responsible

我們複製了全部五種

人體負責製造第一型膠原的基因，

for making type I collagen in humans

into a transgenic tobacco plant.

將它們移植於煙草植栽中。

So now, the plant has the ability to make human collagen brand new,

如今這些植物

已能產生全新、 未被碰過的人體膠原蛋白。

untouched.

This is amazing.

這件了不起的事

Actually, it's happening now.

正在實際發生中。

Today in Israel, we grow it in 25,000 square meters of greenhouses

今天以色列全國

有二萬五千平方公尺的 溫室種植這種菸草。

all over the country.

The farmers receive small plantlets of tobacco.

農民領取煙草幼苗，

It looks exactly like regular tobacco,

幼苗看起來與一般菸草無異，

except that they have five human genes.

所不同的只是 它們含有五種人類的基因，

They're responsible for making type I collagen.

負責製作第一型膠原的基因。

We grow them for about 50 to 70 days,

植株大約生長50至70天，

we harvest the leaves,

然後我們採收葉子，

and then the leaves are transported by cooling trucks to the factory.

將葉子用冷藏卡車運送至工廠，

There, the process of extracting the collagen starts.

在那裡提取膠原蛋白。

Now, if you ever made a pesto -- essentially, the same thing.

基本上與製作蘿勒青醬的過程相同。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You crush the leaves, you get the juice that contains the collagen.

搗碎葉子，取得含膠原蛋白的汁液；

We concentrate the protein,

濃縮其蛋白質；

transfer the protein to clean rooms for the final purification,

轉移到無塵室， 進行最終的純化步驟；

and the end result is a collagen identical to what we have in our body --

最後製成和我們體內 完全相同的膠原蛋白，

untouched, brand new

全新未被碰過、用過的膠原蛋白

and from which we make different medical implants:

被用來做成各式各樣的醫療植入物，

bone void fillers, for example,

例如：骨填充物，

for severe bone fractures, spinal fusion.

用於治療嚴重骨折或脊椎融合手術。

And more recently, even,

最近，

we've been able to launch into the market here in Europe

我們已在歐洲市場推出

a flowable gel that is used for diabetic foot ulcers,

治療糖尿病足潰瘍的流動性凝膠

that is now approved for use in the clinic.

已被批准臨床使用。

This is not science fiction.

這不是科幻故事，

This is happening now.

而是現在的實況。

We are using plants to make medical implants

我們正利用植物來製造

用於人體的醫療植入物及替代品。

for replacement parts for human beings.

In fact, more recently, we've been able to make collagen fibers

事實上，最近我們已能做出

強度是阿基里斯腱六倍的膠原纖維。

which are six times stronger than the Achilles tendon.

That's amazing.

太美妙了！

Together with our partners from Ireland,

我們和愛爾蘭的合作夥伴

一起想出接下來要做的事：

we thought about the next thing:

adding resilin to those fibers.

把節肢彈性蛋白加到那些纖維中。

By doing that,

這樣做，

we've been able to make a superfiber

我們能做超級纖維，

which is about 380 percent tougher,

增加三點八倍的韌性

and 300 percent more elastic.

和三倍的彈性。

So oddly enough, in the future,

所以在未來會很不尋常，

when a patient is transplanted with artificial tendons or ligaments

在患者移植了

這些纖維製成的人工肌腱或韌帶後，

made from these fibers,

we'll have better performance after the surgery

手術後的表現會比受傷之前更好。

than we had before the injury.

So what's for the future?

那麼，未來會怎樣？

In the future, we believe we'll be able to make

我們相信在未來能夠

做出許多大自然提供的 奈米級的生物結構：

many nanobio building blocks that nature provided for us --

collagen, nanocellulose, resilin and many more.

膠原蛋白、奈米纖維素、 節肢彈性蛋白等等。

And that will enable us to make better machines perform better,

將使我們能做出表現更好的機器，

even the heart.

甚至心臟。

Now, this heart is not going to be the same

這樣的心臟與來自器捐者的不同，

as we can get from a donor.

It will be better.

而是更好；

It actually will perform better

會表現得更好，

and will last longer.

持續更久。

My friend Zion Suliman once told me

我的朋友錫安·蘇里曼曾告訴我

a smart sentence.

很聰明的一句話：

He said, "If you want a new idea,

「如果你想有新的想法，

you should open an old book."

就應該翻開一本舊書。」

And I'm going to say that the book was written.

而我要說的是， 這本書早已被寫好，

It was written over three billion years

是超過三十多億年的 進化所寫成的，

of evolution.

And the text is the DNA of life.

內容是生命的 DNA 。

All we have to do

我們只要讀這書，

is read this text,

embrace nature's gift to us

擁抱大自然給我們的禮物，

and start our progress from here.

開始我們的進步里程。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）