How supercharged plants could slow climate change | Joanne Chory

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bighead Ge

I recently had an epiphany.

我最近有個頓悟。

I realized that I could actually play a role

了解到其實我能扮演一個角色，

in solving one of the biggest problems that faces mankind today,

協助解決人類現今 所面臨的最大問題之一，

and that is the problem of climate change.

那就是氣候變遷的問題。

It also dawned on me that I had been working for 30 years or more

我也開始明白，我已經 工作了三十年以上，

just to get to this point in my life

只是為了到達 我人生中的這個時點，

where I could actually make this contribution to a bigger problem.

讓我能夠為更大的問題貢獻心力。

And every experiment that I have done in my lab

過去三十年間，我在 實驗室中做的每個實驗，

over the last 30 years

and people who work for me did in my lab over the last 30 years

以及過去三十年間在我實驗室中 為我工作的人所做的實驗，

has been directed toward doing the really big experiment,

都是為了要來做這個大實驗，

this one last big experiment.

最後一個大實驗。

So who am I?

所以，我是誰？ 我是植物遺傳學家。

I'm a plant geneticist.

I live in a world where there's too much CO2 in the atmosphere

在我所居住的世界中， 大氣的二氧化碳含量太高，

because of human activity.

這是人類活動造成的。

But I've come to appreciate the plants

但我漸漸開始賞識

植物是了不起的機器，

as amazing machines that they are,

whose job has been, really, to just suck up CO2.

它們一直吸收二氧化碳。

And they do it so well,

它們做得非常好，

because they've been doing it for over 500 million years.

因為它們這樣做已經超過五億年了。

And they're really good at it.

它們非常擅長。

And so ...

所以……

I also have some urgency I want to tell you about.

我也有件急迫的事要跟各位談。

As a mother, I want to give my two children a better world

身為母親，我想要給 我的兩個孩子更好的世界，

than I inherited from my parents,

比我父母給我的更好，

it would be nicer to keep it going in the right direction,

比較希望看到的 是世界繼續朝對的方向前進，

not the bad direction.

而不是壞的方向。

But I also ...

但我也……

I've had Parkinson's for the last 15 years,

我有帕金森氏症， 它跟了我十五年，

and this gives me a sense of urgency that I want to do this now,

這讓我更急著想要現在就做這件事，

while I feel good enough to really be part of this team.

趁我的狀況還不錯， 還能為團隊盡力的時候。

And I have an incredible team.

我的團隊非常棒。

We all work together,

我們全都同心協力，

and this is something we want to do because we have fun.

我們想要做這件事 是因為我們做得很開心。

And if you're only going to have five people trying to save the planet,

且，如果你們只有五個人 在試圖拯救地球，

you better like each other,

你們最好喜歡彼此，因為你們 會花很多時間相處在一起。

because you're going to be spending a lot of time together.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

OK, alright. But enough about me.

好。不要再談我了。

Let's talk about CO2.

咱們來談談二氧化碳。

CO2 is the star of my talk.

二氧化碳是我這場演說的明星。

Now, most of you probably think of CO2 as a pollutant.

在座大部分的人可能認為 二氧化碳是污染物。

Or perhaps you think of CO2 as the villain in the novel, you know?

或者，也許你們認為 二氧化碳是小說中的反派。

It's always the dark side of CO2.

總是看到二氧化碳的黑暗面。

But as a plant biologist, I see the other side of CO2, actually.

但，身為植物生物學家， 我看的其實是二氧化碳的另一面。

And that CO2 that we see,

我們所看到的二氧化碳，

we see it differently because I think we remember, as plant biologists,

我們會對它另眼看待是因為， 身為植物生物學家，我們記得

something you may have forgotten.

某件你們可能已經遺忘的事。

And that is that plants actually do this process called photosynthesis.

那就是，植物會進行 一個叫做光合作用的過程。

And when they do photosynthesis --

當它們進行光合作用時——

all carbon-based life on our earth

地球上所有的碳基生物，

is all because of the CO2 that plants and other photosynthetic microbes

都是因為植物 和其他光合作用微生物

have dragged in from CO2 that was in the atmosphere.

把大氣中的二氧化碳吸收進來。

And almost all of the carbon in your body came from air, basically.

基本上，你們體內 所有的碳都來自空氣。

So you come from air,

所以你們來自空氣，

and it's because of photosynthesis,

因為光合作用，

because what plants do is they use the energy in sunlight,

因為植物所做的就是 使用太陽的能量

take that CO2 and fix it into sugars.

吸取二氧化碳，轉變成糖。

It's a great thing.

這是件好事。

And the other thing that is really important

還有一件事，也對今天 要談的主題很重要，

for what I'm going to tell you today

is that plants and other photosynthetic microbes

那就是，植物和其他 光合作用微生物

have a great capacity for doing this --

做這件事的能力很強——

twentyfold or more than the amount of CO2 that we put up

比我們人類活動 所產生出來的二氧化碳量

because of our human activities.

還要高二十倍以上。

And so, even though we're not doing a great job

所以，雖然我們在減少排放方面

at cutting our emissions and things,

沒有做得很好，

plants have the capacity,

但，身為光合作用有機體，

as photosynthetic organisms, to help out.

植物有能力可能協助我們。

So we're hoping that's what they'll do.

所以，我們希望它們能夠幫忙。

But there's a catch here.

但，沒這麼好的事。

We have to help the plants a little ourselves,

我們自己得要先稍微協助植物，

because what plants like to do is put most of the CO2 into sugars.

因為，植物會把大部分的 二氧化碳轉成糖。

And when the end of the growing season comes,

在生長季節要結束時，

the plant dies and decomposes,

植物會死亡並分解，

and then all that work they did to suck out the CO2 from the atmosphere

接著，它們之前將二氧化碳

從大氣中吸掉以及製造碳基生物質

and make carbon-based biomass

所做的所有工作，

is now basically going right back up in the atmosphere as CO2.

現在基本上都以二氧化碳的 形式回到大氣當中。

So how can we get plants to redistribute the CO2 they bring in

所以，我們要如何讓植物

重新分配它們所帶入的二氧化碳，

into something that's a little more stable?

製成稍微更穩定一點的東西？

And so it turns out that plants make this product,

結果發現，植物會製造一項產物，

and it's called suberin.

叫做軟木脂。

This is a natural product that is in all plant roots.

它是一種天然產物， 在所有植物的根部都有。

And suberin is really cool,

軟木脂非常酷，

because as you can see there, I hope,

因為我希望各位可以在這裡看到，

everywhere you see a black dot, that's a carbon.

凡是看到黑點的地方，就代表碳。

There's hundreds of them in this molecule.

在這個分子中有數百個黑點。

And where you see those few red dots,

還可以看到少數的紅點，

those are oxygens.

它們是氧。

And oxygen is what microbes like to find

微生物喜歡去找氧，

so they can decompose a plant.

這麼一來它們就可以分解植物。

So you can see why this is a perfect carbon storage device.

所以各位可以看得出來這為什麼 是個完美的碳儲存裝置。

And actually it can stabilize the carbon that gets fixed by the plant

事實上，它可以穩定

植物所提供的碳，

into something that's a little bit better for the plant.

成為對植物更好一點的東西。

And so, why now?

所以，為什麼是現在？

Why is now a good time to do a biological solution to this problem?

為什麼現在是個好的時機點， 很適合用生物解決方案

來處理這個問題？

It's because over the last 30 or so years --

因為，在過去三十年左右——

and I know that's a long time, you're saying, "Why now?" --

我知道那是很長的時間， 你們說「為什麼是現在？」——

but 30 years ago, we began to understand

但，三十年前，我們開始了解

the functions of all the genes that are in an organism in general.

一般有機體中所有基因的功能。

And that included humans as well as plants

那包括了人類以及植物，

and many other complicated eukaryotes.

還有許多其他複雜的真核生物。

And so, what did the 1980s begin?

所以，八○年代是什麼的開端？

What began then is that we now know

那時，我們開始了解

the function of many of the genes that are in a plant

在植物中有許多基因的功能 在告訴植物要如何生長。

that tell a plant to grow.

And that has now converged with the fact that we can do genomics

那些知識現在被用在基因組學上，

in a faster and cheaper way than we ever did before.

發明出比以前更快速、 更便宜的方法。

And what that tells us is that all life on earth is really related,

我們從中學到的是， 地球上的所有生命都是相關聯的，

but plants are more related to each other than other organisms.

但，植物和彼此的關係 比和其他有機體的關係更密切。

And that you can take a trait that you know from one plant

你可以選一項 你所知道的植物特性，

and put it in another plant,

放到另一株植物上，

and you can make a prediction that it'll do the same thing.

你便可以預測， 它會做出同樣的事。

And so that's important as well.

這點也十分重要。

Then finally, we have these little genetic tricks that came along,

最後，我們還有 這些小小的基因技倆，

like you heard about this morning --

比如今天早上各位聽到的那些——

things like CRISPR, that allows us to do editing

像是 CRISPR，可以用來編輯基因

and make genes be a little different from the normal state in the plant.

並製造出和植物中 正常狀態不太一樣的基因。

OK, so now we have biology on our side.

好，現在，生物學站在我們這一邊。

I'm a biologist, so that's why I'm proposing a solution

我是生物學家，那就是為什麼

我針對氣候變遷問題 提出的解決方案

to the climate change problem

that really involves the best evolved organism on earth to do it -- plants.

會需要仰賴地球上演化得 最好的有機體——植物。

So how are we going to do it?

所以，我們要怎麼做？

Biology comes to the rescue.

生物學來救援了。來吧。

Here we go.

OK.

好。

You have to remember three simple things from my talk, OK?

請各位記住這場演說的 三個簡單要點，好嗎？

We have to get plants to make more suberin than they normally make,

我們要讓植物製造出 比正常量更多的軟木脂，

because we need them to be a little better than what they are.

因為我們需要它們 比現在的狀態再更好一些。

We have to get them to make more roots,

我們要讓它們製造更多根，

because if we make more roots, we can make more suberin --

因為，如果能製造多根， 就能製造更多軟木脂——

now we have more of the cells that suberin likes to accumulate in.

現在，我們有更多 能夠聚集軟木脂的細胞，

And then the third thing is, we want the plants to have deeper roots.

第三點，我們希望植物的根更深。

And what that does is --

那樣的用途是——

we're asking the plant, actually, "OK, make stable carbon,

我們其實是在請求植物： 「好，製造穩定的碳，

more than you used to,

比平常的還要多，

and then bury it for us in the ground."

接著，為我們 將這些碳埋在地下。」

So they can do that if they make roots that go deep

所以，如果它們的根很深，

而不是在接近土壤表面處迂迴， 它們就能做到這件事。

rather than meander around on the surface of the soil.

Those are the three traits we want to change:

這三項特性是我們想要改變的：

more suberin, more roots, and the last one, deep roots.

更多軟木脂、更多根， 以及，最後一項，更深的根。

Then we want to combine all those traits in one plant,

接著，我們想把這三項特性 結合到同一株植物中，

and we can do that easily and we will do it,

這很容易，我們將會這麼做，

and we are doing it actually, in the model plant, Arabidopsis,

其實，我們正在這麼做， 用的是模型植物，阿拉伯芥，

which allows us to do these experiments much faster

這種植物讓我們 做實驗的速度能更快，

than we can do in another big plant.

比使用其他大型植物更快。

And when we find that we have plants where traits all add up

當我們的植物有了 所有這些特性之後，

and we can get more of them, more suberin in those plants,

我們就能從那些植物 取得更多軟木脂，

we're going to move it all --

我們打算全部移植——

we can and we we will, we're beginning to do this --

我們能且我們會這麼做， 我們已經開始著手——

move it to crop plants.

移植到作物植物上。

And I'll tell you why we're picking crop plants to do the work for us

我等下會告訴各位 為什麼要選作物植物

when I get to that part of my talk.

來為我們做這項工作。

OK, so I think this is the science behind the whole thing.

好，這就是這種做法背後的科學。

And so I know we can do the science, I feel pretty confident about that.

我知道科學的部分我們 沒問題，這我有信心。

And the reason is because, just in the last year,

原因是因為，就在去年，

we've been able to find single genes that affect each of those three traits.

我們分別找出了影響 那三項特性的個別基因。

And in several of those cases, two out of the three,

在許多情況中， 大概有三分之二的比例，

we have more than one way to get there.

我們都有不只一種方法可以辦到。

So that tells us we might be able to even combine within a trait

那就表示，我們甚至可以 在單一項特性中做組合，

and get even more suberin.

來取得更多軟木脂。

This shows one result,

這裡呈現的結果是， 在右手邊的植物，

where we have a plant here on the right

that's making more than double the amount of root

它的根的數量，比左邊的 一般植物高出兩倍之多，

than the plant on the left,

and that's just because of the way we expressed one gene

它會變成這樣，是因為我們 將這種植物中的一個正常基因

that's normally in the plant

in a slightly different way than the plant usually does on its own.

用和它自己一般的做法 稍微不同的方式來表現。

Alright, so that's just one example I wanted to show you.

好，這只是我想 給各位看的一個例子。

And now I want to tell you that, you know,

現在，我想要跟各位談的是，

we still have a lot of challenges, actually,

我們其實還要面對很多挑戰， 才能解決這個問題，

when we get to this problem,

because it takes ...

因為會需要……

We have to get the farmers to actually buy the seeds,

我們得要讓農夫 真的去買這些種子，

or at least the seed company to buy seeds

或至少讓種子公司去買

that farmers are going to want to have.

農夫想要買的這些種子。

And so when we do the experiments,

所以，當我們做實驗時，

we can't actually take a loss in yield,

我們其實無法承受產出損失，

because while we are doing these experiments,

因為，當我們在做這些實驗時，

say, beginning about 10 years from now,

比如，從現在開始算起十年，

the earth's population will be even more than it is right now.

地球的人口將會比現在還多。

And it's rapidly growing still.

人口仍然在快速成長。

So by the end of the century, we have 11 billion people,

在這個世紀末， 我們有一百一十億人，

we have wasted ecosystems that aren't really going to be able to handle

我們未能有效利用的 生態系統，將無法處理

all the load they have to take from agriculture.

來自農業的所有負荷。

And then we also have this competition for land.

接著，還有土地競爭。

And so we figure, to do this carbon sequestration experiment

所以，我們認為， 要做這種碳隔離實驗，

actually requires a fair amount of land.

其實會需要相當大片的土地。

We can't take it away from food,

我們不能搶食物用的土地，

because we have to feed the people that are also going to be on the earth

因為在我們渡過這次危機之前，

until we get past this big crisis.

我們仍然得要提供 食物給地球上的人。

And the climate change is actually causing loss of yield all over the earth.

而氣候變遷其實已經 在世界各地造成了產出損失。

So why would farmers want to buy seeds

所以，農夫為什麼會想要買 可能會影響產出的種子？

if it's going to impact yield?

So we're not going to let it impact yield,

所以，我們不能讓它影響產出，

we're going to always have checks and balances

我們得要一直有制衡原則，

that says go or no go on that experiment.

來決定實驗要不要進行。

And then the second thing is, when a plant actually makes more carbon

第二點，當植物 真的製造出更多碳，

and buries it in the soil like that,

並這樣將碳埋入土壤時，

almost all the soils on earth are actually depleted of carbon

地球上幾乎所有的土壤的碳 可能都已經耗盡了，

because of the load from agriculture,

原因是農業的負擔，

trying to feed eight billion people,

現在地球上有八十億人，

which is what lives on the earth right now.

要提供他們食物所造成的負擔。

And so, that is also a problem as well.

所以，那也是個問題。

Plants that are making more carbon, those soils become enriched in carbon.

製造更多碳的植物， 那些土壤就會更富含碳。

And carbon-enriched soils actually hold nitrogen

富含碳的土壤其實也含有氮，

and they hold sulphur and they hold phosphate --

還有硫以及磷酸鹽——

all the minerals that are required for plants to grow and have a good yield.

這些都是植物成長並盛產 所需要的礦物質。

And they also retain water in the soil as well.

它們也會讓土壤中保有水份。

So the suberin will break up into little particles

所以，軟木脂會拆開成為小粒子，

and give the whole soil a new texture.

讓整體土壤有新的結構。

And as we've shown that we can get more carbon in that soil,

我們已經展示過， 若土壤中有更多碳，

the soil will get darker.

顏色會變得比較暗。

And so we will be able to measure all that,

我們能夠測量這項特性，

and hopefully, this is going to help us solve the problem.

希望這能協助我們解決問題。

So, OK.

所以，好。

So we have the challenges of a lot of land that we need to use,

我們的挑戰包括 需要使用很多土地，

we have to get farmers to buy it,

要讓農夫去購買，

and that's going to be the hard thing for us, I think,

我認為，那對我們來說會很困難，

because we're not really salesmen,

因為我們不是業務員，

we're people who like to Google a person rather than meet them,

我們這種人比較喜歡去 Google 別人而不是去和別人見面。

you know what I mean?

你們能懂吧？（笑聲）

(Laughter)

大部分科學家是這樣子的。

That's what scientists are mostly like.

But we know now that, you know, no one can really deny --

但我們知道，沒有人能否認——

the climate is changing, everyone knows that.

氣候正在變遷，大家都知道。

And it's here and it's bad and it's serious,

事情發生了，狀況很糟，很嚴重，

and we need to do something about it.

而我們得要採取行動。

But I feel pretty optimistic that we can do this.

但對此我是相對樂觀。

So I'm here today as a character witness for plants.

所以，今天我是以植物的 品格證人身分來到這裡。

And I want to tell you that plants are going to do it for us,

我想要告訴各位， 植物會為我們做這些，

all we have to do is give them a little help,

我們只需要給它們一點點協助，

and they will go and get a gold medal for humanity.

它們就會為人類取得金牌。

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

(Cheers)

（歡呼）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I finally got it out.

我終於說完了。

Chris Anderson: Wow.

克里斯安德森：哇。

Joanne, you're so extraordinary.

喬安妮，你真了不起。

Just to be sure we heard this right:

讓我確認一下我們聽對了：

you believe that within the next 10 years

你認為在接下來的十年間，

you may be able to offer the world

你們將會提供世界

seed variants for the major crops, like -- what? -- wheat, corn, maybe rice,

主要作物種子的變種， 比如小麥、玉米，也許還有稻子，

that can offer farmers just as much yield,

且農夫還是能保持產量，

sequester three times, four times, more carbon than they currently do?

並隔離出比目前還要高 三倍或四倍的碳量？

Even more than that?

甚至更多？

Joanne Chory: We don't know that number, really.

喬安妮裘利：我們其實 不知道確切數字。

But they will do more.

但它們會產出更多。

CA: And at the same time,

克：且，同時，

make the soil that those farmers have more fertile?

讓那些農夫的土壤更肥沃？

JC: Yes, right.

喬：是的，沒錯。

CA: So that is astonishing.

克：那好驚人。

And the genius of doing that and a solution that can scale

且非常天才，這個解決方案能夠

將已經有的規模再擴大規模。

where there's already scale.

JC: Yes, thank you for saying that.

喬：是的，謝謝你這麼說。

CA: No, no, you said it, you said it.

克：不，不，是你說的，你說的。

But it almost seems too good to be true.

但聽起來太好了，不太像真的。

Your Audacious Project is that we scale up the research in your lab

你的「大膽項目」是要 把你的實驗室研究擴大規模，

and pave the way to start some of these pilots

並為一些前導計畫舖路，

and make this incredible vision possible.

讓這了不起的遠景成為可能。

JC: That's right, yes, thank you.

喬：沒錯，是的，謝謝你。

CA: Joanne Chory, thank you so much.

克：喬安妮裘利， 非常謝謝你。祝成功。

Godspeed.

(Applause)

（掌聲）

JC: Thank you.

喬：謝謝你。