TED2015
Tal Danino: Programming bacteria to detect cancer (and maybe treat it)
塔尔·丹尼诺: 我们可以用细菌发现癌症（也许还能治愈它）
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肝癌是最难检测出的癌症种类之一，但是合成生物学家塔尔·丹尼诺有个惊人的想法：如果我们能够创造一个可食用的益生菌，将它“编译”并用来发现肝癌肿瘤呢？他的研究开拓了我们刚开始了解的细菌知识，这些知识涉及了它们的群体感应能力，或是当遇到临界物质时协作的能力。TED 研究会员丹尼诺解释了群体感应的运作方式，并解释了聪明的细菌是如何合作并改变未来癌症的治疗方式的。
Tal Danino - Synthetic biologist
Tal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow. Full bio
Tal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
You may not realize this,
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或许你并没有意识到，
00:14
but there are more bacteria in your body
than stars in our entire galaxy.
than stars in our entire galaxy.
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你身体里的细菌
比银河系中的星星还要多。
比银河系中的星星还要多。
00:20
This fascinating universe
of bacteria inside of us
of bacteria inside of us
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我们体内这迷人的“细菌宇宙”
00:23
is an integral part of our health,
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是我们身体健康
不可缺少的组成部分，
不可缺少的组成部分，
00:25
and our technology is evolving so rapidly
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而高科技的迅速发展
00:27
that today we can program these bacteria
like we program computers.
like we program computers.
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允许我们像处理计算机程序一样
处理这些细菌。
处理这些细菌。
00:33
Now, the diagram that you see here,
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现在，你看到的这张图，
00:34
I know it looks like
some kind of sports play,
some kind of sports play,
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我知道这看起来像是
某种体育运动的示意图，
某种体育运动的示意图，
00:37
but it is actually a blueprint of
the first bacterial program I developed.
the first bacterial program I developed.
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但实际上是我开发的
第一个细菌程序。
第一个细菌程序。
00:41
And like writing software,
we can print and write DNA
we can print and write DNA
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就像写软件代码那样，
我们可以依据不同的算法
我们可以依据不同的算法
00:44
into different algorithms
and programs inside of bacteria.
and programs inside of bacteria.
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输出和撰写DNA序列，
并在细菌内部编写程序。
并在细菌内部编写程序。
00:48
What this program does
is produces fluorescent proteins
is produces fluorescent proteins
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这个程序做的事情就是
按照一定的节奏
按照一定的节奏
00:51
in a rhythmic fashion
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生产荧光蛋白，
00:52
and generates a small molecule
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并生成一个小分子，
00:54
that allows bacteria
to communicate and synchronize,
to communicate and synchronize,
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让细菌可以彼此联系，实现信息同步，
00:57
as you're seeing in this movie.
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正如你在这个影片里看到的。
00:59
The growing colony of bacteria
that you see here
that you see here
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这个成长中的菌落，
01:01
is about the width of a human hair.
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和人类头发的宽度差不多大小。
01:03
Now, what you can't see
is that our genetic program
is that our genetic program
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但你们看不到我们的基因程序如何
01:06
instructs these bacteria
to each produce small molecules,
to each produce small molecules,
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指导这些细菌各自产生小分子，
01:09
and these molecules travel between
the thousands of individual bacteria
the thousands of individual bacteria
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这些分子在数千个
细菌个体之间游移，
细菌个体之间游移，
01:13
telling them when to turn on and off.
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告诉它们什么时候
开启和关闭相应的功能。
开启和关闭相应的功能。
01:15
And the bacteria synchronize
quite well at this scale,
quite well at this scale,
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在这个尺度下，
细菌同步表现得很好，
细菌同步表现得很好，
01:19
but because the molecule that synchronizes
them together can only travel so fast,
them together can only travel so fast,
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但因为这些让细菌同步的分子
移动速度非常快，
移动速度非常快，
01:23
in larger colonies of bacteria,
this results in traveling waves
this results in traveling waves
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在比较大的菌落里，
将导致在相距较远的细菌个体间
将导致在相距较远的细菌个体间
01:26
between bacteria that are
far away from each other,
far away from each other,
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产生传导波动，
01:29
and you can see these waves going
from right to left across the screen.
from right to left across the screen.
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你可以看到这样的波动
从荧幕的右边向左移动。
从荧幕的右边向左移动。
01:33
Now, our genetic program
relies on a natural phenomenon
relies on a natural phenomenon
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我们的遗传程序依赖于
一种叫做“群体感应”的
一种叫做“群体感应”的
01:36
called quorum sensing,
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自然现象，
01:37
in which bacteria trigger coordinated
and sometimes virulent behaviors
and sometimes virulent behaviors
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一旦菌落达到临界密度，
细菌之间就会开始激发相互协调，
细菌之间就会开始激发相互协调，
01:40
once they reach a critical density.
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有时甚至会产生致命后果的行为。
01:43
You can observe quorum sensing
in action in this movie,
in action in this movie,
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在这段视频中，
你能观察到活动中的“群体感应”现象，
你能观察到活动中的“群体感应”现象，
01:46
where a growing colony of bacteria
only begins to glow
only begins to glow
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成长中的菌落
只有在达到高密度或临界密度的时候
只有在达到高密度或临界密度的时候
01:49
once it reaches a high
or critical density.
or critical density.
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才会开始发光。
01:52
Our genetic program
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我们的基因程序
在菌落向外蔓延时，
有节奏地
有节奏地
01:54
continues producing these
rhythmic patterns of fluorescent proteins
rhythmic patterns of fluorescent proteins
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01:57
as the colony grows outwards.
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持续制造荧光蛋白。
01:59
This particular movie and experiment
we call The Supernova,
we call The Supernova,
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我们称这个特别的影片
和这个实验为“超级新星”，
和这个实验为“超级新星”，
02:03
because it looks like an exploding star.
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因为这看起来很像星星大爆炸。
02:06
Now, besides programming
these beautiful patterns,
these beautiful patterns,
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除了编译这些美丽的图样外，
02:08
I wondered, what else can we get
these bacteria to do?
these bacteria to do?
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我开始思考，
我们还能让这些细菌做些什么？
我们还能让这些细菌做些什么？
02:11
And I decided to explore
how we can program bacteria
how we can program bacteria
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我决定探索研究
要如何编程细菌
要如何编程细菌
02:13
to detect and treat diseases
in our bodies like cancer.
in our bodies like cancer.
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去发现和治疗身体内的疾病，
比如癌症。
比如癌症。
02:18
One of the surprising facts about bacteria
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细菌的一个不可思议之处在于，
02:20
is that they can naturally grow
inside of tumors.
inside of tumors.
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它们可以在肿瘤内部自然地生长。
02:23
This happens because typically tumors
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这是因为，一般的肿瘤
02:25
are areas where the immune system
has no access,
has no access,
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是免疫系统涉及不到的区域，
02:27
and so bacteria find these tumors
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所以当细菌发现这些肿瘤时，
02:29
and use them as a safe haven
to grow and thrive.
to grow and thrive.
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会将肿瘤当做避风港，
在其中茁壮成长。
在其中茁壮成长。
02:33
We started using probiotic bacteria
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我们开始使用益生菌，
02:35
which are safe bacteria
that have a health benefit,
that have a health benefit,
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它们安全并且对健康有益，
02:38
and found that
when orally delivered to mice,
when orally delivered to mice,
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随后发现，当老鼠口服益生菌时，
02:40
these probiotics would selectively
grow inside of liver tumors.
grow inside of liver tumors.
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这些益生菌会选择
生长在肝脏的肿瘤里。
生长在肝脏的肿瘤里。
02:44
We realized that the most convenient way
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我们意识到最简便的
02:46
to highlight the presence
of the probiotics,
of the probiotics,
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标记出益生菌，
02:48
and hence, the presence of the tumors,
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进而让肿瘤现形的方式，
02:50
was to get these bacteria
to produce a signal
to produce a signal
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是让这些益生菌产生
02:52
that would be detectable in the urine,
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可以在尿液中被检测到的信号，
02:55
and so we specifically
programmed these probiotics
programmed these probiotics
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所以我们特别编译了这些益生菌，
02:57
to make a molecule that would change
the color of your urine
the color of your urine
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让它们产生可以改变
你尿液颜色的分子，
你尿液颜色的分子，
03:00
to indicate the presence of cancer.
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以此实现癌症的检测。
03:03
We went on to show that this technology
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我们随后证明了这项技术
对肝癌的检测具有高灵敏度和准确度，
03:05
could sensitively and specifically
detect liver cancer,
detect liver cancer,
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而肝癌很难通过其他方式检测到。
03:08
one that is challenging
to detect otherwise.
to detect otherwise.
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03:11
Now, since these bacteria
specifically localize to tumors,
specifically localize to tumors,
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既然知道这些细菌能
准确定位肿瘤，
准确定位肿瘤，
03:14
we've been programming them
to not only detect cancer
to not only detect cancer
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我们又试着实现
不止能检测癌症，
不止能检测癌症，
03:17
but also to treat cancer
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还能治疗癌症的编译，
03:19
by producing therapeutic molecules
from within the tumor environment
from within the tumor environment
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通过从肿瘤内部产生治疗分子，
03:22
that shrink the existing tumors,
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让现有的肿瘤萎缩，
03:24
and we've been doing this
using quorum sensing programs
using quorum sensing programs
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而我们已经在用群体感应程序
来实现这一过程了，
来实现这一过程了，
就像之前影片中看到的一样。
03:27
like you saw in the previous movies.
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03:29
Altogether, imagine in the future
taking a programmed probiotic
taking a programmed probiotic
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想象一下，未来可以通过
服用这些编译后的细菌
服用这些编译后的细菌
03:33
that could detect and treat cancer,
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来检测和治疗癌症，
03:35
or even other diseases.
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甚至是其他疾病。
03:38
Our ability to program bacteria
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我们能够编译细菌
03:40
and program life
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以及生命的能力，
03:42
opens up new horizons in cancer research,
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为癌症研究打开了新的天地，
03:45
and to share this vision,
I worked with artist Vik Muniz
I worked with artist Vik Muniz
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为了分享这个美好的愿景，
我和艺术家 Vik Muniz 合作，
我和艺术家 Vik Muniz 合作，
03:47
to create the symbol of the universe,
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创作了这个完全由细菌和
03:49
made entirely out of bacteria
or cancer cells.
or cancer cells.
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癌症细胞所组成的宇宙符号。
03:53
Ultimately, my hope is that the beauty
and purpose of this microscopic universe
and purpose of this microscopic universe
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最终，我希望这个美丽的微观世界
和它的存在意义，
和它的存在意义，
03:58
can inspire new and creative approaches
for the future of cancer research.
for the future of cancer research.
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能够给未来的癌症研究方法
带来新的创意。
带来新的创意。
04:03
Thank you.
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谢谢。
（鼓掌）
04:06
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tal Danino - Synthetic biologistTal Danino explores the emerging frontier of combining biology and engineering (and art). He is a 2015 TED Fellow.
Why you should listen
Tal Danino's research explores the emerging frontier of combining biology, engineering and medicine. His work as a synthetic biologist focuses on reprogramming bacteria to detect and treat diseases in our bodies such as cancer.
Originally from Los Angeles, Danino received B.S. degrees from UCLA in Physics, Chemistry and Math, and received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UCSD. He did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is currently an assistant professor at Columbia University in New York.
Danino's work has been published in scientific journals and highlighted in several popular press venues. He actively develops "Bio-Art" projects that share perspectives and stories about science with recent projects featured in the New York Times, WIRED, and the Wall Street Journal.
Tal Danino | Speaker | TED.com