ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michel Dugon - Zoologist, venom researcher
Michel Dugon researches the potential of spider venom as a source of novel therapeutic agents.

Why you should listen

Michel Dugon runs the Venom Systems and Proteomics Lab and teaches zoology at the National University of Ireland Galway. His research focuses on the evolution of venom systems and on the potential of arthropod venom as a source of novel therapeutic agents. After a six-year stint chasing venomous creatures in the jungles of South East Asia, Dugon published extensively on the evolution of venom systems while pursuing a PhD in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. He was awarded the 2015 Irish National Teaching Award in Higher Education and the 2017 Ryan Award for Innovation. Dugon is currently working on developing the VIDAA network (Venom Investigations for the Development of Antimicrobial Agents) in collaboration with Irish, French and Belgian researchers.

As the founder and director of the science outreach Eco Explorers, Dugon dedicates a sizable amount of his time to promoting ecological awareness in the media and in schools throughout Ireland. Dr Dugon's work has been featured on national and international networks, including RTE, the BBC, Euronews and SKY.

More profile about the speaker
Michel Dugon | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxGalway

Michel Dugon: The secrets of spider venom

米歇尔 · 杜冈: 蜘蛛毒液的秘密

Filmed:
1,807,844 views

动物学家米歇尔 · 杜冈指出,蜘蛛毒液可以让你的心跳在几分钟内停止,引起难以想象的痛疼——但它同时也是潜在的救命解药。带着一只狼蛛在他的手臂上爬行,杜冈在演讲中解释了这种强力毒素的医学特性,以及它可以如何被用来生产下一代抗生素。
- Zoologist, venom researcher
Michel Dugon researches the potential of spider venom as a source of novel therapeutic agents. Full bio

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

00:13
Well, hello你好.
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大家好。
00:16
This is Sophie索菲.
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这是索菲。
00:17
It's all right, don't worry担心,
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没事的,别担心,
00:20
everything's一切的 going to be fine.
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不会出问题的。
00:21
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
00:23
There are some people on the balcony阳台
that are very happy快乐 to be up there now.
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现在坐在楼上的一些人
一定很庆幸自己离舞台很远。
(笑声)
00:27
(Laughter笑声)
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00:28
So this is Sophie索菲 --
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这是索菲——
00:30
not Sophia索菲亚 -- no, Sophie索菲.
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不是索菲亚,也不是苏菲。
00:32
She has a French法国 name名称.
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她有个法文名。
00:33
And you wonder奇迹 why?
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想知道为什么吗?
00:35
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
00:36
So Sophie索菲, for most people,
is the incarnation化身 of terror恐怖, really.
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索菲,对大多数人来说
着实是恐怖的化身。
00:40
She's far too leggy莱吉, she's far too hairy毛茸茸,
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她的腿太长了,太毛茸茸了,
00:42
and she's far too big to ever be trusted信任.
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并且大到让人们没有安全感。
00:45
But to me, Sophie索菲 is a fantastic奇妙
feat功绩 of bioengineering生物工程.
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但对我而言,索菲在生物工程领域
是一个了不起的成就。
00:50
You see, Sophie索菲 is a testimony见证
to all those creatures生物
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索菲是所有这些从一开始
就成功存活下来的动物的见证——
00:54
that have managed管理 to survive生存
since以来 the beginning开始 of time;
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我指的是所有这些一代代
00:57
all those animals动物
that have managed管理 to have offspring子孙
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繁衍至今的动物。
01:01
generation after generation,
until直到 this day.
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01:05
You see, over one billion十亿 years年份 ago,
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十多亿年前,
第一批原始细胞开始在这个星球上进化。
01:07
the first primitive原始 cells细胞
started开始 to evolve发展 on this planet行星.
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01:12
It took spiders蜘蛛 430 million百万 years年份
to become成为 what they are now:
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蜘蛛花了4.3亿年才成为今天的样子:
世界上最全能的,
01:17
one of the most versatile多才多艺,
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01:19
one of the most diverse多种
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最具多样性的
和地球上进化程度最高的——
01:21
and one of the most evolved进化 groups --
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(笑声)
01:26
(Laughter笑声)
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01:27
of predators大鳄 to ever walk步行 this earth地球.
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捕食者之一。
01:31
It's actually其实 quite相当 sporty运动型
to give a speech言语
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不得不说,边摆弄一只狼蛛
01:33
while wrangling争吵 a tarantula狼 蛛,
I have to say.
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边发表演讲,运动量非常大。
01:35
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
01:40
So, we shouldn't不能 forget忘记 that Sophie索菲 --
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我们不应该忘记的是,索菲,
01:43
and in fact事实, all of us --
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事实上还包括我们所有人,
01:44
we all are a testimony见证
to all those ruthless无情 battles战斗
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我们都是那些残酷斗争的见证者,
01:48
that actually其实 were won韩元
consistently始终如一 by all our ancestors祖先,
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这些斗争实际上是由我们的祖先,
01:52
all our predecessors前辈.
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我们所有的父辈共同赢得的。
01:54
In fact事实, all of us,
every一切 single one of you,
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事实上,我们所有人,每一个个体,
01:58
is in fact事实 an uninterrupted不断,
one-billion-years-old10亿岁 success成功 story故事.
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都是一个不间断的,
长达10亿年的成功故事。
02:05
And in the gaze凝视 of Sophie索菲,
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而对索菲来说,
02:06
that success成功 is partly部分地 due应有
to what she has in her chest胸部,
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成功的部分原因在于她的胸部,
02:10
just under her eyes眼睛.
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就在她的眼睛下面。
02:11
In there, she has a pair of venom毒液 glands腺体
that are attached to a pair of fangs獠牙,
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在那里,她有一对附在毒牙上的毒腺,
02:17
and those fangs獠牙 are folded折叠 into her mouth.
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那些尖牙被折进她的嘴里。
02:21
So, without those fangs獠牙
and without this venom毒液,
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没有这些毒牙,没有这种毒液,
02:25
Sophie索菲 would have never
managed管理 to survive生存.
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索菲就无法成功存活下来。
02:28
Now, many许多 animals动物 have evolved进化
venom毒液 systems系统 in order订购 to survive生存.
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很多动物为了生存,进化出了毒液系统。
如今,任何一种毒蛇,
02:32
Nowadays如今, any species种类 of venomous有毒 snakes,
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02:34
any species种类 of spider蜘蛛,
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任何一种蜘蛛,
02:36
any species种类 of scorpion,
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任何一种蝎子,
02:38
has its own拥有 venom毒液 signature签名, if you will,
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它们的毒液都有各自的特点,
02:42
made制作 out of dozens许多, if not hundreds数以百计,
of chemical化学 compounds化合物.
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由几十个,甚至上百种化学物质组成。
02:47
And all of those compounds化合物
have evolved进化 purely纯粹 for one purpose目的:
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所有这些物质的形成只为一个目的:
02:52
disable禁用 and, eventually终于, kill.
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致残,甚至致死。
02:55
Now, venom毒液 can actually其实 act法案
in many许多 different不同 ways方法.
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毒液实际上可以有很多不同的作用。
02:59
Venom毒液, believe me, can make you feel
pains辛劳 that you've never felt before.
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相信我,毒液可以让你
感到前所未有的痛疼。
03:04
Venom毒液 can also make
your heart stop within minutes分钟,
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毒液也会让你的心跳在几分钟内停止,
03:08
or it can turn your blood血液 into jelly果冻.
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或者可以让你的血液变成胶状物。
03:10
Venom毒液 can also paralyze瘫痪 you
almost几乎 instantly即刻,
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毒液也能立马让你瘫痪,
03:13
or it can just eat
your flesh away, like acid.
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或者可以把你的肉腐蚀掉,就跟酸一样。
03:18
Now, all of these are pretty漂亮
gruesome阴森 stories故事, I know,
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所有这些都是非常可怕的,我知道,
03:22
but, to me, it's kind of music音乐 to my ears耳朵.
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但对我来讲,这是非常棒的事。
03:26
It's what I love.
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这正是我所钟情的。
03:27
So why is that?
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为什么这么说呢?
03:29
Well, it's not because I'm a nutcase疯子, no.
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不是因为我是疯子,绝对不是。
03:31
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:33
Just imagine想像 what we could do
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想象一下,如果我们可以利用所有这些
03:36
if we could harvest收成
all those super powerful强大 compounds化合物
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超级强大的化学物质
03:40
and use them to our benefit效益.
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去造福人类,
03:43
That would be amazing惊人, right?
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那一定十分让人惊叹,对吧?
03:45
What if we could, I don't know,
produce生产 new antibiotics抗生素 with those venoms毒液?
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如果我们可以用这些毒液
生产新的抗生素呢?
03:49
What if we could actually其实 help people
that are suffering痛苦 from diabetes糖尿病
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如果我们真的能利用
毒液来帮助那些患糖尿病
03:53
or hypertension高血压?
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或高血压的人呢?
03:55
Well, in fact事实, all those applications应用
are already已经 being存在 developed发达
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事实上,所有这些应用已经
04:00
by scientists科学家们 just like me
everywhere到处 around the world世界, as I speak说话.
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被全球各地像我这样的科学家开发出来了。
04:06
You see, hypertension高血压 is actually其实 treated治疗
regularly经常 with a medication药物治疗
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治疗高血压的常用药物实际上
04:11
that has been developed发达 from the toxin毒素
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是利用南美毒蛇产生的毒素
04:13
that is produced生成
by a South American美国 viper毒蛇.
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研发出来的。
04:17
People that have type类型 2 diabetes糖尿病
can be monitored监控 using运用, actually其实,
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患有2型糖尿病的人实际上可以使用
04:20
the toxin毒素 produced生成
by a lizard蜥蜴 from North America美国.
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来自北美的蜥蜴产生的毒素进行调理。
04:24
And in hospitals医院 all around the world世界,
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在全球各地的医院,
04:26
a new protocol协议 is being存在 developed发达
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一项使用一种来自
04:28
to use a toxin毒素 from
a marine海洋 snail蜗牛 for anesthetics麻醉剂.
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海生蜗牛的毒素进行
麻醉的新的计划正在开展。
04:34
You see, venom毒液 is that kind of huge巨大
library图书馆 of chemical化学 compounds化合物
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因此,毒液是一种我们可以获取的,
04:40
that are available可得到 to us,
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由成千上万种生物
04:42
that are produced生成 by hundreds数以百计
of thousands数千 of live生活 creatures生物.
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产生的巨大的化学物质库。
04:46
And --
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而且——
哦,抱歉,它只是想去散散步。
04:48
Oh, sorry, she just wants
to go for a little walk步行.
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04:51
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
04:52
Spiders蜘蛛 alone单独 are actually其实
thought to produce生产
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事实上,蜘蛛被认为能生产
04:56
over 10 million百万 different不同
kinds of compounds化合物
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超过1千万种有潜在治疗用途的
05:00
with potential潜在 therapeutic治疗 application应用.
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化学物质。
05:03
10 million百万.
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1千万。
05:04
And do you know how many许多 scientists科学家们
actually其实 have managed管理 to study研究 so far?
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你们知道目前科学家
能够研究的有多少吗?
05:08
About 0.01 percent百分.
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大约0.01%。
05:11
So that means手段 that there is still
99.99 percent百分 of all those compounds化合物
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所以这意味着,仍有99.99%的这些物质
05:17
that are out there, completely全然 unknown未知,
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还全然不为人知,
05:19
and are just waiting等候
to be harvested收获 and tested测试,
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等待被利用和测试,
05:21
which哪一个 is fantastic奇妙.
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这真是太棒了。
05:23
You see, so far, scientists科学家们
have concentrated集中 their efforts努力
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目前,科学家们把精力放在了
05:27
on very charismatic魅力,
very dangerous危险 animals动物 --
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非常有魅力,也非常危险的动物上,
05:31
vipers毒蛇 and cobras眼镜蛇 or scorpions蝎子
and black黑色 widows寡妇.
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比如毒蛇、眼镜蛇、蝎子和黑寡妇。
05:35
But what about all those little bugs虫子
that we actually其实 have all around us?
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但我们周围所有这些小虫子呢?
05:40
You know, like that spider蜘蛛
that lives生活 behind背后 your couch长椅?
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比如生活在你沙发背后的蜘蛛?
05:44
You know, the one that decides决定
to just shoot射击 through通过 the floor地板
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那只在你看电视时
05:47
when you're watching观看 TV电视
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决定从地板上弹起
05:48
and freaks怪胎 you out?
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吓你一跳的虫子?
05:50
Ah, you have that one at home as well.
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啊,你家里也有这种虫子。
05:52
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
05:53
Well, what about those guys?
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那么那些家伙呢?
05:55
Do they actually其实 produce生产
some kind of amazing惊人 compound复合
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它们也能在小小的身体中
05:59
in their tiny body身体 as well?
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生产某些让人惊叹的物质吗?
06:01
Well, an honest诚实 answer回答 a few少数 months个月 ago
would have been, "We have no clue线索."
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实际上就在几个月前,
答案还是:我们完全没有头绪。
06:05
But now that my students学生们 and myself
have started开始 to look into it,
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但现在我和我的学生已经开始研究它,
06:09
I can tell you those guys
actually其实 are producing生产
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我可以告诉你们,这些家伙确实在生产
06:12
very, very interesting有趣 compounds化合物.
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非常,非常有趣的物质。
06:15
And I'm going to tell you
more about that in a second第二,
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我待会儿会详细介绍一下,
06:18
but first, I would like to tell you more
about this "we are looking into it."
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但首先,我想告诉你们
更多关于“我们正在研究它”的事。
06:22
How does one look into it?
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如何去研究它们?
06:25
Well, first of all, my students学生们 and I
have to capture捕获 a lot of spiders蜘蛛.
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首先,我和学生们需要捕获大量的蜘蛛。
06:30
So how do we do that?
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那么如何捕获呢?
06:31
Well, you'd be surprised诧异.
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你一定会感到惊讶。
06:33
Once一旦 one starts启动 to look,
one finds认定 a lot of spiders蜘蛛.
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一旦你开始寻找,你就会发现蜘蛛无处不在。
06:38
They actually其实 live生活 everywhere到处 around us.
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它们其实就生活在我们周围的每个角落。
不到几个小时,
06:40
Within a couple一对 of hours小时,
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06:41
we are capable of catching maybe
two, three, four hundred spiders蜘蛛,
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我们抓到的蜘蛛数量
可能就有200-400个,
06:46
and we bring带来 them back to my laboratory实验室,
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我们把它们带回实验室,
06:48
and we house each of them
in its own拥有 individual个人 home.
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然后分开安置在不同的地方,
06:52
And we give each of them a little meal膳食.
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还会给它们一点食物。
06:55
So now I know what you're thinking思维:
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现在我知道你们在想什么了:
06:57
"This guy's家伙 nuts坚果.
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“这家伙疯了。
他的研究室里有蜘蛛旅馆。”
06:58
He has a spider蜘蛛 B&amp功放;B at work ..."
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07:00
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
07:02
No, no it's not exactly究竟 that,
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不,这个不够准确,
07:04
and it's not the kind of venture冒险
I would advise劝告 you to start开始.
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并且我也不建议你们开始这种冒险。
07:09
No, once一旦 we're doneDONE with that,
we wait a few少数 days,
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一旦完成这些步骤,我们会静候几天,
07:12
and then, we anesthetize麻醉 those spiders蜘蛛.
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然后对那些蜘蛛进行麻醉。
07:15
Once一旦 they're asleep睡着, we run a tiny
little electric电动 current当前 through通过 their body身体
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一旦它们睡着了,我们会让
微小的电流通过它们的身体,
07:20
and that contracts合同 their venom毒液 glads格拉兹.
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使电流接触到它们的毒液。
07:22
Then, under a microscope显微镜, we can see
a tiny little droplet水滴 of venom毒液 appearing出现.
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然后,在显微镜下面,
我们可以看到一小滴毒液出现了。
07:27
So we take a hair-thin细如发丝的
glass玻璃 tube, a capillary毛细管,
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我们用一个很薄的玻璃管,毛细管,
07:30
and we collect搜集 that tiny droplet水滴.
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来收集这些小液滴。
07:33
Then, we take the spider蜘蛛
and we put it back into its home,
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然后,我们把蜘蛛放回它的家中,
07:36
and we start开始 again with another另一个 one.
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再开始研究下一只蜘蛛。
07:38
Because spiders蜘蛛 are completely全然
unharmed安然无恙 during the process处理,
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因为蜘蛛在这个过程中完全不会受伤,
07:43
it means手段 that a few少数 days later后来,
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这意味着几天后,
07:44
once一旦 they've他们已经 produced生成 a little bit
of venom毒液 again and they've他们已经 recovered恢复,
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一旦它们又产生了一点毒液,
并且恢复了生存能力,
我们就可以把它们放回野外。
07:48
we can release发布 them back into the wild野生.
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07:50
It takes literally按照字面 hundreds数以百计 of spiders蜘蛛
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实际上,我们需要数百只蜘蛛
07:53
to just produce生产 the equivalent当量
of one raindrop雨滴 of venom毒液.
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才能产生足量的一滴毒液。
07:58
So that drop下降 is incredibly令人难以置信 precious珍贵 to us.
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所以那一滴对我们来说非常珍贵。
08:02
And once一旦 we have it, we freeze冻结 it,
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收集好之后,我们会把它冷冻起来,
08:04
and we then pass通过 it in a machine
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然后我们放到机器里
08:05
that will separate分离 and purify净化 every一切
chemical化学 compound复合 that is in that venom毒液.
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分离并提纯毒素中的每一种物质。
08:11
We're speaking请讲 about tiny amounts.
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我们谈及的化学物质都是微量的,
08:13
We're actually其实 speaking请讲 about a tenth第十
of a millionth百万分之一 of a liter of compound复合,
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只有一升化学物质的千万分之一,
08:18
but we can dilute that compound复合
several一些 thousand times
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但是我们可以把这个物质用和它等量的水
08:21
in its own拥有 volume of water
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稀释几千次,
08:23
and then test测试 it against反对
a whole整个 range范围 of nasty讨厌 stuff东东,
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然后在一系列令人厌恶的东西上进行测试,
08:26
like cancer癌症 cells细胞 or bacteria.
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比如癌细胞或细菌。
08:30
And this is when the very exciting扣人心弦
part部分 of my job工作 starts启动,
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这是我工作中最令人激动的部分,
08:35
because this is pure scientific科学 gambling赌博.
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因为这全是有关科学的博弈。
08:38
It's kind of "Las拉斯维加斯 Vegas拉斯维加斯, baby宝宝," for me.
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对我来说,这有点像
“拉斯维加斯,我来了”的呼唤。
(笑声)
08:42
(Laughter笑声)
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我们花了如此多的时间,如此多的资源,
08:43
We spend so many许多 hours小时, so much resources资源,
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08:47
so much time trying to get
those compounds化合物 ready准备,
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如此多的尝试,来取得这些化学物质,
08:50
and then we test测试 them.
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然后测试它们。
08:52
And most of the time, nothing happens发生.
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绝大部分时间,什么都不会发生。
08:55
Nothing at all.
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什么都没有。
08:57
But once一旦 in a while --
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但是偶尔,
08:58
just once一旦 in a while,
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只是偶尔,
我们得到了有绝对惊人效果的独特化学物质。
09:00
we get that particular特定 compound复合
that has absolutely绝对 amazing惊人 effects效果.
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这就好比中了大奖。
09:04
That's the jackpot头奖.
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09:06
And when I'm saying that, actually其实,
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当我这么说的时候,其实,
09:08
I should take out something
else其他 from my pocket口袋 --
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我应该从我口袋里掏点东西,
09:10
be afraid害怕, be very afraid害怕.
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你们要怕了,要怕了。
09:12
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
09:13
Now, in that little tube,
I have, actually其实, a very common共同 spider蜘蛛.
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在这个小管里,有一种非常常见的蜘蛛。
09:17
The kind of spider蜘蛛
that you could find in your shed,
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你可以在你的小屋里找到这种蜘蛛,
09:20
that you could find in your basement地下室
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还有你的地下室,
09:22
or that you could find in your sewer下水道 pipe,
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下水道,
09:25
understand理解: in your toilet厕所.
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当然:还有你的厕所。
09:28
Now, that little spider蜘蛛 happens发生 to produce生产
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这个小蜘蛛恰巧能产生
09:31
amazingly令人惊讶 powerful强大
antimicrobial抗菌 compounds化合物.
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令人惊讶的强大抗菌化合物。
09:35
It is even capable of killing谋杀
those drug-resistant耐药性 bacteria
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它甚至能够杀死那些
给我们造成了很多麻烦,
09:40
that are giving us so much trouble麻烦,
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天天上媒体头条的
09:42
that are often经常 making制造 media媒体 headlines新闻头条.
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抗药性细菌。
09:45
Now, honestly老老实实, if I was living活的
in your sewer下水道 pipe,
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说实话,如果我住在你的下水道,
09:47
I'd produce生产 antibiotics抗生素, too.
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我也会产生抗生素。
09:49
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
09:51
But that little spider蜘蛛,
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但这只小小的蜘蛛,
09:54
may可能 actually其实 hold保持 the answer回答
to a very, very serious严重 concern关心 we have.
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也许可以解决我们面临的
一个非常非常严肃的问题。
09:59
You see, around the world世界,
every一切 single day,
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在全球范围内,每天都有
10:02
about 1,700 people die because of
antimicrobial-resistant抗菌素耐药性 infections感染.
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大约1700人死于耐抗生素细菌感染。
10:08
Multiply that by 365,
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这个数字乘上365,
10:11
and you're reaching到达 the staggering踉跄 number
of 700,000 people dead every一切 single year
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就会得到每年致死70万人的可怕数字,
10:17
because antibiotics抗生素 that were efficient高效
30, 20 or 10 years年份 ago
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因为近几十年前,甚至是
十年前还十分有效的抗生素,
10:23
are not capable of killing谋杀
very common共同 bugs虫子.
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已经无法杀死如今很常见的细菌。
10:26
The reality现实 is that the world世界
is running赛跑 out of antibiotics抗生素,
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现实是,全世界的抗生素种类已穷尽,
10:30
and the pharmaceutical制药 industry行业
does not have any answer回答,
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医药行业还没有找到任何对策,
10:34
actually其实, any weapon武器
to address地址 that concern关心.
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任何有效的手段去解决这个问题。
10:38
You see, 30 years年份 ago,
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30年前,
10:40
you could consider考虑 that 10 to 15
new kinds of antibiotics抗生素
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每隔几年就有
10:44
would hit击中 the market市场
every一切 couple一对 of years年份.
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10-15种抗生素进入市场。
10:46
Do you know how many许多 of them
hit击中 the market市场 in the past过去 five years年份?
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你知道在过去5年这个数字是多少吗?
10:50
Two.
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2种。
10:51
The reality现实 is
that if we continue继续 this way,
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如果我们继续这样下去,
10:55
we are a few少数 decades几十年 away
from being存在 completely全然 helpless无助
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在几十年的时间里,我们面对感染问题
10:59
in front面前 of infections感染,
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将变得黔驴技穷,
11:01
just like we were before the discovery发现
of penicillin青霉素 90 years年份 ago.
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就像90年前青霉素诞生之前那样。
11:05
So you see, the reality现实
is that we are at war战争
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很明显,我们正在与
11:08
against反对 an invisible无形 enemy敌人
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看不见的敌人做斗争,
11:10
that adapts适应 and evolves演变
a lot quicker更快 than we do.
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这个敌人适应环境和进化的
速度远胜于我们。
11:14
And in that war战争,
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在这场战争中,
11:16
this little spider蜘蛛 might威力 be
one of our greatest最大 secret秘密 weapons武器.
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这只小蜘蛛可能是我们最大的秘密武器。
11:21
Just a half a millionth百万分之一
of a liter of a venom毒液,
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即使是一升毒液的50万分之一,
11:25
diluted 10,000 times,
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再稀释1万倍,
11:28
is still capable of killing谋杀 most bacteria
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仍然能够杀死大部分
11:34
that are resistant
to any other kind of antibiotics抗生素.
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对其他任何抗生素都有耐药性的细菌。
11:38
It's absolutely绝对 amazing惊人.
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这绝对是惊人的。
11:39
Every一切 time I repeat重复
this experiment实验, I just wonder奇迹:
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每次重复这个实验,我总会感到疑惑:
11:43
How is that possible可能?
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这怎么可能?
11:45
How many许多 other possibilities可能性 and secrets秘密
do the siblings兄弟姐妹 actually其实 have?
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这类物种到底有多少其他的可能和秘密?
11:51
What kind of wonderful精彩 product产品
can we really find, if we care关心 to look?
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如果我们仔细研究,
都会开发出哪些强大的产品?
11:57
So when people ask me, "Are bugs虫子
really the future未来 of therapeutic治疗 drugs毒品?"
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所以当人们问我,
“虫子真是治疗药物的未来吗?”
12:01
my answer回答 is, "Well, I really believe
that they do hold保持 some key answers答案."
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我的答案是:“我真的相信
它们掌握着关键答案。”
12:08
And we need to really give ourselves我们自己
the means手段 to investigate调查 them.
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我们需要自己寻找方法去研究它们。
12:12
So when you head back home later后来 tonight今晚,
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所以,你们今晚回到家之后,
12:15
and you see that spider蜘蛛
in the corner of your room房间 ...
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看到房间角落里的蜘蛛,
12:18
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
12:19
don't squash壁球 it.
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不要拍死它。
12:20
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
12:22
Just look at it, admire欣赏 it
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去看看它,欣赏它,
并记住它是一种非常神奇的生物,
12:25
and remember记得 that it is
an absolutely绝对 fantastic奇妙 creature生物,
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12:29
a pure product产品 of evolution演化,
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进化过程的纯粹产物,
12:31
and that maybe that very spider蜘蛛,
one day, will hold保持 the answer回答,
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也许有一天,蜘蛛身上所携带的答案,
12:36
will hold保持 the key
to your very own拥有 survival生存.
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就是你们每个人存活下去的关键。
12:40
You see, she's not so insignificant微不足道
anymore now, is she?
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你瞧,她现在已经不是
那么微不足道了,是吧?
12:43
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
12:44
Thank you.
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谢谢。
12:45
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
Translated by jacks jun
Reviewed by Hanlin Wang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michel Dugon - Zoologist, venom researcher
Michel Dugon researches the potential of spider venom as a source of novel therapeutic agents.

Why you should listen

Michel Dugon runs the Venom Systems and Proteomics Lab and teaches zoology at the National University of Ireland Galway. His research focuses on the evolution of venom systems and on the potential of arthropod venom as a source of novel therapeutic agents. After a six-year stint chasing venomous creatures in the jungles of South East Asia, Dugon published extensively on the evolution of venom systems while pursuing a PhD in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. He was awarded the 2015 Irish National Teaching Award in Higher Education and the 2017 Ryan Award for Innovation. Dugon is currently working on developing the VIDAA network (Venom Investigations for the Development of Antimicrobial Agents) in collaboration with Irish, French and Belgian researchers.

As the founder and director of the science outreach Eco Explorers, Dugon dedicates a sizable amount of his time to promoting ecological awareness in the media and in schools throughout Ireland. Dr Dugon's work has been featured on national and international networks, including RTE, the BBC, Euronews and SKY.

More profile about the speaker
Michel Dugon | Speaker | TED.com