ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kary Mullis - Biochemist
Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a way to copy a strand of DNA. (His technique, called PCR, jump-started the 1990s' biorevolution.) He's known for his wide-ranging interests -- and strong opinions.

Why you should listen

In the early 1980s, Kary Mullis developed the polymerase chain reaction, an elegant way to make copies of a DNA strand using the enzyme polymerase and some basic DNA "building blocks." The process opened the door to more in-depth study of DNA -- like the Human Genome Project. Mullis shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing this technique.

As he tells it, after winning the Nobel Prize, his next career move was to learn how to surf. It's typical of Mullis, whose scientific method is to get deeply curious about a topic, work it out from first principles, and then imagine the next giant leap forward. As he puts it in his Nobel autobiography, revised several times since 1993, "I read a lot, and think a lot, and I can talk about almost anything. Being a Nobel laureate is a license to be an expert in lots of things as long as you do your homework."

Most recently, he's been taking a hard look at immunity; a recent patent from his company Altermune describes the redirection of an existing immune response to a new pathogen.

More profile about the speaker
Kary Mullis | Speaker | TED.com
TED2009

Kary Mullis: A next-gen cure for killer infections

Kari Malisov lek protiv smrtonosnih infekcija

Filmed:
691,090 views

Bakterije koje su otporne na lekove su smrtonosne, čak i u najboljim bolnicama. Međutim, opasnim infekcijama poput stafilokoke i antraksa se sprema iznenađenje. Hemičar, Nobelovac, Kari Malis, čiji je prijatelj umro jer i najbolji antibiotici nisu pomogli, otkriva radikalni novi, obećavajući metod lečenja.
- Biochemist
Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a way to copy a strand of DNA. (His technique, called PCR, jump-started the 1990s' biorevolution.) He's known for his wide-ranging interests -- and strong opinions. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:18
So it was about fourчетири yearsгодине agoпре, fiveпет yearsгодине agoпре,
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Bilo je to otprilike pre četiri, pet godina,
00:21
I was sittingседење on a stageфаза in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, I think it was,
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sedeo sam na bini u Filadelfiji,
00:23
with a bagторба similarслично to this.
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sa torbom sličnom ovoj.
00:26
And I was pullingповлачење a moleculeмолекула out of this bagторба.
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I vadio sam molekul iz torbe.
00:29
And I was sayingговорећи, you don't know this moleculeмолекула really well,
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I govorio sam, vi ne znate ovaj molekul dobro,
00:32
but your bodyтело knowsзна it extremelyизузетно well.
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ali ga vaš organizam zna vrlo dobro.
00:35
And I was thinkingразмишљање that your bodyтело hatedмрзела it, at the time,
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I tada sam mislio da ga vaše telo mrzi,
00:39
because we are very immuneимуно to this. This is calledпозвани alpha-galAlfa-gal epitopeepitope.
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zato što smo mi imuni na njega. Ovo je molekul alpha-gal epitope.
00:42
And the factчињеница that pigсвиња heartсрце valvesвентили have lots of these on them
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I činjenica da svinjski srčani zalistak ima puno ovih molekula
00:46
is the reasonразлог that you can't transplanttransplantacija a pigсвиња heartсрце valveventil into a personособа easilyлако.
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je razlog zašto ne možete da presadite svinjski srčani zalistak u čoveka.
00:50
ActuallyU stvari our bodyтело doesn't hateмрзим these.
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Ustvari, naše telo ne mrzi ove molekule.
00:52
Our bodyтело lovesволи these. It eatsjede them.
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Naše telo ih obožava. Ono ih proždire.
00:55
I mean, the cellsћелије in our immuneимуно systemсистем are always hungryгладан.
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Ćelije našeg imunog sistema su uvek gladne.
00:58
And if an antibodyantitela is stuckзаглавити to one of these things
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I ako je antitelo zakačeno za jedan ovakav molekul
01:02
on the cellмобилни, it meansзначи "that's foodхрана."
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na ćeliji, to znači da je vreme za večeru.
01:05
Now, I was thinkingразмишљање about that and I said, you know, we'veми смо got this
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I dosta sam razmišljao o tome. Mi imamo
01:07
immuneимуно responseодговор to this ridiculousсмешно moleculeмолекула
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imunu reakciju na ovaj smešni molekul,
01:10
that we don't make, and we see it a lot in other animalsЖивотиње and stuffствари.
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koji mi ne proizvodimo, ali ga nalazimo u drugim životinjama i stvarima.
01:14
But I said we can't get ridрид of it,
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I uvek ćemo imati tu imunu reakciju.
01:17
because all the people who triedПокушали to transplanttransplantacija heartсрце valvesвентили
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I svi ljudi koji su pokušali da presade srčani zalistak
01:19
foundнашао out you can't get ridрид of that immunityимунитет.
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su otkrili da ne mogu da se otarase te imune reakcije.
01:21
And I said, why don't you use that?
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Zašto onda ne probamo da iskoristimo to?
01:23
What if I could stickштап this moleculeмолекула,
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Šta ako bih uzeo ovaj molekul,
01:26
slapшамар it ontoна a bacteriaбактерије
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i zakačio ga na bakteriju
01:28
that was pathogenicпатогени to me, that had just invadednapao my lungspluća?
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koja je patogena za mene i koja je napala moja pluća.
01:32
I mean I could immediatelyодмах tapславина into
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Štaviše, u tom slučaju
01:34
an immuneимуно responseодговор that was alreadyвећ there,
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imunitet bi se stvorio istog trenutka.
01:36
where it was not going to take fiveпет or sixшест daysдана to developразвити it --
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I ne bi nam trebalo pet ili šest dana da se imunitet razvije,
01:39
it was going to immediatelyодмах attackнапад whateverшта год this thing was on.
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nego bi istovremeno organizam reagovao.
01:42
It was kindкинд of like the sameисти thing that happensсе дешава when you,
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Na primer, zamislite da vas
01:44
like when you're gettingдобијања stoppedпрестала for a trafficсаобраћај ticketкарта in L.A.,
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dok vozite kola, zaustavi policajac u Los Anđelesu.
01:48
and the copполицајац dropsкапљице a bagторба of marijuanaмарихуана in the back of your carауто,
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I da vam policajac ubaci kesu marihuane u prtljažnik,
01:51
and then chargesоптужбе you for possessionпоседовање of marijuanaмарихуана.
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i privede vas zbog posedovanja marihuane.
01:54
It's like this very fastбрзо, very efficientефикасан way to get people off the streetулица.
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To bi bio veoma brz i efikasan način da se uklone ljudi sa ulica.
01:58
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
02:00
So you can take a bacteriaбактерије
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Slično tome, uzmite neku bakteriju,
02:02
that really doesn't make these things at all,
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koja ne proizvodi ovaj molekul uopšte,
02:04
and if you could clampStega these on it really well
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i ako bismo mogli da zakačimo ove molekule za bakteriju,
02:06
you have it takenузети off the streetулица.
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mi bismo ih uklonili sa ulice.
02:08
And for certainизвестан bacteriaбактерије
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I za određene bakterije
02:10
we don't have really efficientефикасан waysначини to do that anymoreвише.
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mi ustvari više i nemamo efikasan način da to uradimo.
02:12
Our antibioticsантибиотици are runningтрчање out.
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Ponestaje nam antibiotika.
02:14
And, I mean, the worldсвет apparentlyочигледно is runningтрчање out too.
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Ustvari, izgleda da ceo svet polako nestaje,
02:17
So probablyвероватно it doesn't matterматерија 50 yearsгодине from now --
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tako da verovatno neće ni biti bitno za 50 godina,
02:20
streptococcusstreptokokama and stuffствари like that will be rampantneobuzdane --
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što su Streptokoke i slične stvari toliko nabujale,
02:23
because we won'tнеће be here. But if we are --
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jer mi nećemo biti ovde. Ali ako budemo...
02:25
(LaughterSmeh)
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(smeh)
02:27
we're going to need something to do with the bacteriaбактерије.
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treba nešto da uradimo sa ovim bakterijama.
02:29
So I startedпочела workingрад with this thing,
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Tako sam i počeo da radim na ovome,
02:33
with a bunchгомилу of collaboratorssaradnici.
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sa svojim saradnicima.
02:35
And tryingпокушавајући to attachаттацх this to things that were
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Pokušavajući da zakačim ovaj molekul za stvari koje onda
02:38
themselvesсами attachedу прилогу to certainизвестан specificспецифични targetциљ zoneszone,
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mogu da se zakače za određene zone onih bakterija,
02:42
bacteriaбактерије that we don't like.
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koje i inače ne volimo.
02:44
And I feel now like GeorgeGeorge BushBuš.
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I sada se osećam kao Džordž Buš.
02:48
It's like "missionмисија accomplishedостварено."
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Kad je izgovorio ''misija je završena'' (u Iraku).
02:50
So I mightМожда be doing something dumbглуп, just like he was doing at the time.
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Tako da možda ja radim nešto glupo, baš kao što je i on svojevremeno,
02:53
But basicallyу основи what I was talkingпричају about there we'veми смо now gottenготтен to work.
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ali hoću da kažem da ovaj naš metod ustvari radi.
02:57
And it's killingубијање bacteriaбактерије. It's eatingјести them.
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I metod ubija bakterije tj. imuni sistem ih jede.
03:01
This thing can be stuckзаглавити, like that little greenзелен triangleтроугао up there,
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Ovaj molekul možemo da zakačimo i to onaj mali zeleni trougao gore
03:05
sortврста of symbolizingsimbolizuje this right now.
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pokušava da simbolizuje.
03:08
You can stickштап this to something calledпозвани a DNADNK aptameraptamer.
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Ovo možete da zakačite za nešto što se zove DNK aptamer,
03:11
And that DNADNK aptameraptamer will attachаттацх specificallyпосебно
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a taj DNK aptamer će se zakačiti
03:13
to a targetциљ that you have selectedизабран for it.
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za metu koju ste vi odabrali.
03:15
So you can find a little featureкарактеристика on a bacteriumбактерија that you don't like,
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Tako možete da nađete neki detalj na bakteriji koju ne volite,
03:19
like StaphylococcusStafilokoka -- I don't like it in particularпосебно,
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npr. stafilokoku, koju ja naročito ne volim,
03:22
because it killedубијен a professorпрофесор friendпријатељ of mineмој last yearгодине.
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jer je ubila mog prijatelja, profesora, prošle godine.
03:25
It doesn't respondодговори to antibioticsантибиотици. So I don't like it.
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Ne reaguje na antibiotike. Zato je ne volim.
03:28
And I'm makingстварање an aptameraptamer that will have this attachedу прилогу to it.
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I napravio sam aptamer koji će imati ovaj molekul zakačen za njega,
03:31
That will know how to find StaphStafilokoke when it's in your bodyтело,
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koji će znati kako da nađe stafilo-bakteriju u vašem organizmu,
03:34
and will alertупозорење your immuneимуно systemсистем to go after it.
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i upozoriti vaš imuni sistem da je napadne.
03:37
Here'sEvo what happenedдесило. See that lineлине on the very topврх
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Evo šta se desilo. Vidite ovu liniju na samom vrhu,
03:40
with the little dotstačke?
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sa tačkicama?
03:42
That's a bunchгомилу of miceмишеви that had been poisonedотрован
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To je gomila miševa koje su otrovali
03:45
by our scientistнаучник friendsпријатељи down in TexasU Teksasu,
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naši prijatelji naučnici iz Teksasa,
03:47
at BrooksBrooks AirVazduh BaseBaza, with anthraxantraks.
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u Bruks avio bazi, sa antraksom.
03:50
And they had alsoтакође been treatedтретирани with a drugдрога that we madeмаде
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I oni su takođe bili tretirani lekom koji smo mi napravili,
03:53
that would attackнапад anthraxantraks in particularпосебно,
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koji specifično napada antraks,
03:56
and directдиректан your immuneимуно systemсистем to it.
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i upućuje vaš imuni sistem na njega.
03:58
You'llCu te noticeобјава they all livedживели, the onesоне on the topврх lineлине --
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Primećujete da su svi miševi preživeli, ovi gore na vrhu.
04:00
that's a 100 percentпроценат survivalопстанак rateстопа.
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To je 100 posto stopa preživljavanja.
04:02
And they actuallyзаправо livedживели anotherдруги 14 daysдана,
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Oni su ustvari živeli još 14 dana,
04:05
or 28 when we finallyконачно killedубијен them,
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ili 28, kad smo ih na kraju ubili,
04:07
and tookузела them apartодвојено and figuredфигуред out what wentотишао wrongпогрешно.
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i otvorili da bi videli šta im se desilo.
04:10
Why did they not dieумрети?
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I zašto nisu umirali?
04:12
And they didn't dieумрети because they didn't have anthraxantraks anymoreвише.
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Pa nisu umirali jer više nisu imali antraks.
04:15
So we did it. Okay?
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Znači uspeli smo, zar ne?
04:17
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
04:19
MissionMisija accomplishedостварено!
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Misija je završena!
04:21
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Nenad Bozinovic
Reviewed by Ivana Korom

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kary Mullis - Biochemist
Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a way to copy a strand of DNA. (His technique, called PCR, jump-started the 1990s' biorevolution.) He's known for his wide-ranging interests -- and strong opinions.

Why you should listen

In the early 1980s, Kary Mullis developed the polymerase chain reaction, an elegant way to make copies of a DNA strand using the enzyme polymerase and some basic DNA "building blocks." The process opened the door to more in-depth study of DNA -- like the Human Genome Project. Mullis shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing this technique.

As he tells it, after winning the Nobel Prize, his next career move was to learn how to surf. It's typical of Mullis, whose scientific method is to get deeply curious about a topic, work it out from first principles, and then imagine the next giant leap forward. As he puts it in his Nobel autobiography, revised several times since 1993, "I read a lot, and think a lot, and I can talk about almost anything. Being a Nobel laureate is a license to be an expert in lots of things as long as you do your homework."

Most recently, he's been taking a hard look at immunity; a recent patent from his company Altermune describes the redirection of an existing immune response to a new pathogen.

More profile about the speaker
Kary Mullis | Speaker | TED.com