Lee Cronin: Print your own medicine

Translator: Timothy Covell Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Amy Gong 審譯者: Jephian Lin

Organic chemists make molecules,

有機化學家製做化學分子，

very complicated molecules,

非常複雜的分子，

by chopping up a big molecule into small molecules

是藉由把大分子剪成許多小分子

and reverse engineering.

然後逆向工程。

And as a chemist,

而作為一個化學家，

one of the things I wanted to ask my research group a couple of years ago is,

其中一件我幾年前想要在我的研究團隊中探討的

could we make a really cool universal chemistry set?

就是我們是否可以製做一個很酷的通用化學機？

In essence, could we "app" chemistry?

簡單來說，我們是否可以「應用」 化學？

Now what would this mean, and how would we do it?

現在這代表什麼，而且我們該如何作呢？

Well to start to do this,

是這樣為了要開始做這個，

we took a 3D printer

我們找來一架3D印表機

and we started to print our beakers and our test tubes on one side

而且我們開始在一邊印我們的燒杯和試管

and then print the molecule at the same time on the other side

接著同時在另一邊印出分子

and combine them together in what we call reactionware.

然後在我們所稱作反應儀的裡面將它們結合在一起。

And so by printing the vessel and doing the chemistry at the same time,

所以藉由同時印出容器和做化學合成，

we may start to access this universal toolkit of chemistry.

我們或許開始進入這化學的通用工具箱。

Now what could this mean?

現在這代表什麼呢？

Well if we can embed biological and chemical networks like a search engine,

這個嘛，如果我們可以將生物和化學的關聯網絡 如搜尋引擎般嵌入，

so if you have a cell that's ill that you need to cure

所以如果你有一個你需要治療的細胞

or bacteria that you want to kill,

或者是你希望殺死的細菌，

if you have this embedded in your device

如果你有這個嵌入在你的儀器

at the same time, and you do the chemistry,

而你就在同時進行化學反應，

you may be able to make drugs in a new way.

你或許可以用一個新的方法製造藥物。

So how are we doing this in the lab?

所以我們如何在實驗室裡做這件事？

Well it requires software, it requires hardware

嗯，這需要軟體，這也需要硬體

and it requires chemical inks.

同時也需要有化學墨水。

And so the really cool bit is,

所以那非常酷的一點是，

the idea is that we want to have a universal set of inks

我們想要有一個通用性的墨水組的構想

that we put out with the printer,

當我們把它放上印表機，

and you download the blueprint, the organic chemistry for that molecule

而你下載藍圖，就是那個分子的有機化學

and you make it in the device.

然後你在儀器中製造它。

And so you can make your molecule in the printer using this software.

因此你可以用這個軟體在印表機中製造你的分子。

So what could this mean?

所以這代表著什麼呢？

Well, ultimately, it could mean that you could print your own medicine.

嗯，終究，這可能代表你可以印出屬於你自己的藥物。

And this is what we're doing in the lab at the moment.

而這就是我們當下正在實驗室裡做的。

But to take baby steps to get there,

然而為著要達到那兒 要實行些小步驟，

first of all we want to look at drug design and production,

首先我們希望能檢視藥物的設計和製造，

or drug discovery and manufacturing.

或者是藥物的發現和生產。

Because if we can manufacture it after we've discovered it,

因為如果在我們發現它之後我們可以生產，

we could deploy it anywhere.

我們可以在任何地方應用它。

You don't need to go to the chemist anymore.

你們再也不需要去找化學家。

We can print drugs at point of need.

我們能夠在需要的地方印出藥物。

We can download new diagnostics.

我們可以下載新的診斷。

Say a new super bug has emerged.

比如說有一種新的超級細菌開始流傳。

You put it in your search engine,

你把它放進你的搜尋引擎，

and you create the drug to treat the threat.

然後你就創造出治療這個威脅的藥。

So this allows you on-the-fly molecular assembly.

因此這就允許你快速地做同步分子組裝。

But perhaps for me the core bit going into the future

但是或許對我來說展望未來中最核心的構想

is this idea of taking your own stem cells,

是這個用你自己的幹細胞

with your genes and your environment,

和你的基因以及你的環境，

and you print your own personal medicine.

你就可以印出屬於你個人的藥物。

And if that doesn't seem fanciful enough,

然後如果那看來還不夠奇異，

where do you think we're going to go?

你想我們還能夠去哪裡呢？

Well, you're going to have your own personal matter fabricator.

嗯，你們將會有屬於你們的個人物質製造機。

Beam me up, Scotty.

傳送我吧，史考特。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）