ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi - Nanophysicist, entrepreneur
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi invented a method to spy on the social behavior and communication of bacteria.

Why you should listen

Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi holds a PhD in nanotechnology and molecular biology, is a renowned fiction writer and the founder of PreDiagnose, where she's created next-generation diagnostics for early bacterial detection. She's an expert in developing micro- and nanosensors for the detection of cellular molecules and microorganisms.

As a result of her research and academic track, Alatraktchi has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize for outstanding research talents in medicine and health and the PhD thesis of the year award by the Technical University of Denmark. She founded PreDiagnose to transform her research into concrete benefit for users. Forbes listed her as one of the 30 most influential people under 30 in Europe within science and health in 2019.

More profile about the speaker
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi | Speaker | TED.com
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Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi: To detect diseases earlier, let's speak bacteria's secret language

法蒂瑪·艾爾札拉·亞拉崔克奇: 學會細菌的暗號以更早期診斷疾病

Filmed:
1,799,889 views

細菌會彼此「交談」,靠發送化學資訊來協調進攻。倘若我們聽得懂它們在說什麼呢?奈米科學家法蒂瑪·艾爾札拉·亞拉崔克奇發明了一項工具,能監聽細菌的竊竊私語,然後將它們的秘密溝通翻譯成人類的語言。她的研究可為疾病的早期診斷做出貢獻——甚至在我們生病之前就診斷出來。
- Nanophysicist, entrepreneur
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi invented a method to spy on the social behavior and communication of bacteria. Full bio

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

00:13
You don't know them.
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你不認識它們。
00:16
You don't see them.
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你看不見它們。
00:18
But they're always around,
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但它們總是在你身邊,
00:21
whispering耳語,
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竊竊私語,
00:23
making製造 secret秘密 plans計劃,
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暗中策劃,
00:25
building建造 armies軍隊 with millions百萬 of soldiers士兵.
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建造數百萬士兵的軍隊。
00:30
And when they decide決定 to attack攻擊,
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當它們決定進攻時,
00:33
they all attack攻擊 at the same相同 time.
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它們會全體同時一起進攻。
00:39
I'm talking about bacteria.
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我在說的是細菌。
00:40
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
00:42
Who did you think I was talking about?
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你們以為我在說誰?
00:46
Bacteria live生活 in communities社區
just like humans人類.
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細菌和人類一樣,過著群體生活。
00:49
They have families家庭,
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它們也有家庭,
00:50
they talk,
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它們也會交談,它們還會
規劃自己的活動。
00:52
and they plan計劃 their activities活動.
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00:53
And just like humans人類, they trick, deceive欺騙,
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它們也和人類一樣,
會耍詭計、會行騙,
00:56
and some might威力 even cheat作弊 on each other.
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有些細菌甚至會欺騙彼此。
01:00
What if I tell you that we can listen
to bacterial細菌 conversations對話
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如果我告訴各位,
我們可以傾聽細菌的談話,
01:03
and translate翻譯 their confidential機密
information信息 into human人的 language語言?
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將它們的機密資訊
翻譯成人類語言,會如何?
01:08
And what if I tell you that translating翻譯
bacterial細菌 conversations對話 can save保存 lives生活?
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如果我告訴各位,翻譯細菌的談話
可以拯救人命,又會怎樣呢?
01:14
I hold保持 a PhD博士 in nanophysics納米物理,
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我有奈米科學的博士學位,
01:16
and I've used nanotechnology納米技術
to develop發展 a real-time即時的 translation翻譯 tool工具
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我用奈米技術來開發即時翻譯工具,
01:20
that can spy間諜 on bacterial細菌 communities社區
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它能夠用來監視細菌團體,
01:23
and give us recordings錄音
of what bacteria are up to.
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幫我們把細菌的計畫給錄下來。
01:28
Bacteria live生活 everywhere到處.
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細菌無所不在。
01:29
They're in the soil, on our furniture家具
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它們存在於土壤中、我們的家具上,
01:32
and inside our bodies身體.
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及我們的身體中。
01:34
In fact事實, 90 percent百分 of all the live生活 cells細胞
in this theater劇院 are bacterial細菌.
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事實上,在這個劇院中
有九成的活細胞是細菌。
01:39
Some bacteria are good for us;
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有些細菌對我們有益;
01:41
they help us digest消化 food餐飲
or produce生產 antibiotics抗生素.
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它們能協助我們消化食物
或是產生抗生素。
01:44
And some bacteria are bad for us;
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有些細菌對我們有害;
01:46
they cause原因 diseases疾病 and death死亡.
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它們會造成疾病和死亡。
01:49
To coordinate坐標 all
the functions功能 bacteria have,
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細菌為了要協調
它們具有的各種功能,
01:52
they have to be able能夠 to organize組織,
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它們必須要能夠組織和整合,
01:54
and they do that just like us humans人類 --
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而它們的做法和人類一樣——
01:56
by communicating通信.
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透過溝通來做。
01:58
But instead代替 of using運用 words,
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但,它們用的不是言語,
02:00
they use signaling發信號 molecules分子
to communicate通信 with each other.
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它們用信號分子來和彼此溝通。
02:04
When bacteria are few少數,
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當細菌數量很少時,
信號分子就會跑掉,
02:05
the signaling發信號 molecules分子 just flow away,
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02:08
like the screams尖叫聲 of a man
alone單獨 in the desert沙漠.
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就像在沙漠中只有一個人在大叫。
02:11
But when there are many許多 bacteria,
the signaling發信號 molecules分子 accumulate積累,
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但,當細菌數量很多時,
信號分子就會累積起來,
02:15
and the bacteria start開始 sensing傳感
that they're not alone單獨.
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細菌會開始感覺到它們並不孤單。
02:19
They listen to each other.
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它們會傾聽彼此。
02:21
In this way, they keep track跟踪
of how many許多 they are
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它們以這種方式追蹤數量有多少,
02:24
and when they're many許多 enough足夠
to initiate發起 a new action行動.
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也能知道何時有足夠的數量
可以開始進行新的動作。
02:28
And when the signaling發信號 molecules分子
have reached到達 a certain某些 threshold,
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當信號分子到達了某個門檻時,
02:32
all the bacteria sense at once一旦
that they need to act法案
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所有的細菌都會立刻
感受到它們必須要行動,
02:35
with the same相同 action行動.
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且採取相同的動作。
02:37
So bacterial細菌 conversation會話 consists
of an initiative倡議 and a reaction反應,
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所以,細菌談話由倡議
和反應兩部分組成,
02:42
a production生產 of a molecule分子
and the response響應 to it.
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即產生分子和對分子的回應。
02:47
In my research研究, I focused重點 on spying間諜
on bacterial細菌 communities社區
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我的研究把焦點放在監視
人類體內的細菌團體。
02:50
inside the human人的 body身體.
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02:52
How does it work?
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這是怎麼運作的?
02:54
We have a sample樣品 from a patient患者.
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我們先從病人身上取得樣本。
02:56
It could be a blood血液 or spit sample樣品.
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可以用血液樣本或唾液樣本。
02:59
We shoot射擊 electrons電子 into the sample樣品,
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我們將電子射入這個樣本中,
03:01
the electrons電子 will interact相互作用 with any
communication通訊 molecules分子 present當下,
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如果樣本中有任何溝通分子,
電子會和它產生交互作用,
03:05
and this interaction相互作用
will give us information信息
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這種交互作用能提供資訊給我們,
03:08
on the identity身分 of the bacteria,
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資訊內容包括細菌的身分、
03:10
the type類型 of communication通訊
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溝通類型,
03:11
and how much the bacteria are talking.
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以及細菌的交流數據。
03:16
But what is it like
when bacteria communicate通信?
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但,細菌的溝通是什麼樣子?
03:19
Before I developed發達 the translation翻譯 tool工具,
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在我開發出翻譯工具之前,
03:23
my first assumption假設 was that bacteria
would have a primitive原始 language語言,
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我首先假設細菌有自己的原始語言,
03:27
like infants嬰兒 that haven't沒有 developed發達
words and sentences句子 yet然而.
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就像尚未發展出字詞和句子的嬰兒。
03:31
When they laugh, they're happy快樂;
when they cry, they're sad傷心.
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當他們笑,就表示很快樂;
當他們哭,則表示悲傷。
03:34
Simple簡單 as that.
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就這麼簡單。
03:36
But bacteria turned轉身 out to be nowhere無處
as primitive原始 as I thought they would be.
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但,結果發現,細菌完全
不是我原先以為的那麼原始。
03:40
A molecule分子 is not just a molecule分子.
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分子不只是分子。
03:42
It can mean different不同 things
depending根據 on the context上下文,
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在不同的情境下,
它可能有不同的意思。
03:46
just like the crying哭了 of babies嬰兒
can mean different不同 things:
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就像嬰兒的哭泣可能有不同的意思:
03:49
sometimes有時 the baby寶寶 is hungry飢餓,
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有時是嬰兒餓了,
有時是嬰兒尿濕了,
03:51
sometimes有時 it's wet,
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有時是嬰兒受傷了或感到害怕。
03:52
sometimes有時 it's hurt傷害 or afraid害怕.
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03:54
Parents父母 know how to decode解碼 those cries哭聲.
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父母知道如何解讀這些哭泣。
03:57
And to be a real真實 translation翻譯 tool工具,
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真正的翻譯工具
03:59
it had to be able能夠 to decode解碼
the signaling發信號 molecules分子
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要能夠解讀信號分子,
04:02
and translate翻譯 them
depending根據 on the context上下文.
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並根據情境來翻譯它們。
誰知道呢?
04:07
And who knows知道?
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04:08
Maybe Google谷歌 Translate翻譯
will adopt採用 this soon不久.
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說不定 Google 翻譯
很快就會把它納入。
04:10
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
04:14
Let me give you an example.
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讓我舉個例子。
04:16
I've brought some bacterial細菌 data數據
that can be a bit tricky狡猾 to understand理解
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我帶來了一些細菌資料,
如果你沒受過訓練,
可能會覺得有點難了解,
04:19
if you're not trained熟練,
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04:20
but try to take a look.
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但就試試看吧。
04:23
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
04:26
Here's這裡的 a happy快樂 bacterial細菌 family家庭
that has infected感染 a patient患者.
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這是一個快樂的細菌家族,
它們感染了一名病人。
04:32
Let's call them the Montague蒙塔古 family家庭.
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咱們就把它們稱為蒙特鳩家族。
04:35
They share分享 resources資源,
they reproduce複製, and they grow增長.
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它們會分享資源、繁殖,以及成長。
04:40
One day, they get a new neighbor鄰居,
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有一天,他們的新鄰居出現了,
04:44
bacterial細菌 family家庭 Capulet凱普萊特.
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卡帕萊特細菌家族。
(笑聲)(出自羅密歐與茱麗葉)
04:46
(Laughter笑聲)
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04:48
Everything is fine,
as long as they're working加工 together一起.
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當兩個家族能夠合作時,
一切都很好。
04:52
But then something unplanned無計劃 happens發生.
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但,接著,未預期的事情發生了。
04:56
Romeo羅密歐 from Montague蒙塔古 has a relationship關係
with Juliet朱麗葉 from Capulet凱普萊特.
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蒙特鳩家族的羅密歐
和卡帕萊特家族的茱麗葉相戀了。
05:00
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:02
And yes, they share分享 genetic遺傳 material材料.
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是的,它們會共享基因物質。
05:05
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:10
Now, this gene基因 transfer轉讓
can be dangerous危險 to the Montagues蒙塔格
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對於蒙特鳩家族而言,
這種基因傳送十分危險,
05:13
that have the ambition志向 to be the only
family家庭 in the patient患者 they have infected感染,
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因為該家族的野心是要成為它們
所感染的病人體內唯一的家族,
而共享基因會導致卡帕萊特家族
發展出對抗生素的抵抗力。
05:17
and sharing分享 genes基因 contributes有助於
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05:18
to the Capulets卡普列茨 developing發展
resistance抵抗性 to antibiotics抗生素.
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05:23
So the Montagues蒙塔格 start開始 talking internally國內
to get rid擺脫 of this other family家庭
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所以,蒙特鳩家族開始内部討論
打算要除掉另一個家族,
05:28
by releasing釋放 this molecule分子.
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交談方式就是通過釋放這種分子。
05:30
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:32
And with subtitles字幕:
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還有字幕:
05:34
[Let us coordinate坐標 an attack攻擊.]
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【咱們安排一次進攻吧。】
05:36
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:37
Let's coordinate坐標 an attack攻擊.
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咱們安排一次進攻吧。
05:41
And then everybody每個人 at once一旦 responds響應
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接著,大家立刻回應,
05:44
by releasing釋放 a poison
that will kill the other family家庭.
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回應方式是一起釋出
能殺死另一個家族的毒物。
05:48
[Eliminate消除!]
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【消滅!】
05:52
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
05:55
The Capulets卡普列茨 respond響應
by calling調用 for a counterattack反擊.
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卡帕萊特家族的回應,
就是號召反擊。
05:59
[Counterattack反擊!]
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【反擊!】
06:00
And they have a battle戰鬥.
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它們開始交戰。
06:04
This is a video視頻 of real真實 bacteria
dueling決鬥 with swordlike劍狀 organelles細胞,
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這支影片是真實細菌用
像劍一樣的細胞器在進行對決,
06:08
where they try to kill each other
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它們試圖殺掉彼此,
06:10
by literally按照字面 stabbing
and rupturing破裂 each other.
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真的去刺擊、撕裂彼此。
06:14
Whoever's不管是誰 family家庭 wins this battle戰鬥
becomes the dominant優勢 bacteria.
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獲勝的那個家族
就會成為統治的細菌。
06:20
So what I can do is to detect檢測
bacterial細菌 conversations對話
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所以,我能做的就是
去偵測細菌的談話,
06:23
that lead to different不同
collective集體 behaviors行為
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了解造成不同集體行為的談話模式,
06:25
like the fight鬥爭 you just saw.
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比如剛才例子中的對戰行為。
06:27
And what I did was to spy間諜
on bacterial細菌 communities社區
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我所做的,就是監視
人類體內的細菌團體,
06:30
inside the human人的 body身體
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06:32
in patients耐心 at a hospital醫院.
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對象是醫院中的病人。
06:34
I followed其次 62 patients耐心 in an experiment實驗,
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我做了一項實驗,
追蹤了六十二位病人,
06:37
where I tested測試 the patient患者 samples樣本
for one particular特定 infection感染,
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檢測病人的樣本,在不清楚傳統
檢測結果是什麼的情況下,
06:41
without knowing會心 the results結果
of the traditional傳統 diagnostic診斷 test測試.
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尋找某一種特定的感染病原。
06:44
Now, in bacterial細菌 diagnostics診斷,
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在細菌診斷中,
06:48
a sample樣品 is smeared out on a plate盤子,
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樣本會被抹在一個盤子上,
06:50
and if the bacteria grow增長 within five days,
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如果在五天之內細菌會成長,
06:53
the patient患者 is diagnosed確診 as infected感染.
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就可以診斷病人受到感染。
06:57
When I finished the study研究
and I compared相比 the tool工具 results結果
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我完成研究之後,把我的工具
得到的結果拿來對照
07:00
to the traditional傳統 diagnostic診斷 test測試
and the validation驗證 test測試,
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傳統診斷檢測及驗證檢測的結果,
07:03
I was shocked吃驚.
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我嚇了一跳。
07:05
It was far more astonishing驚人
than I had ever anticipated預期.
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結果比我所預期的還要驚人許多。
07:10
But before I tell you
what the tool工具 revealed透露,
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但,在我告訴各位
這項工具的發現之前,
07:12
I would like to tell you about
a specific具體 patient患者 I followed其次,
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我想要先跟各位談談
我追蹤的其中一位病人,
07:15
a young年輕 girl女孩.
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一位年輕的女孩。
07:16
She had cystic囊性 fibrosis纖維化,
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她得了囊狀纖維化,
07:18
a genetic遺傳 disease疾病 that made製作 her lungs
susceptible易感 to bacterial細菌 infections感染.
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這是一種遺傳疾病,會讓她的肺
很容易被細菌感染所影響。
07:22
This girl女孩 wasn't a part部分
of the clinical臨床 trial審訊.
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這女孩並不是臨床實驗的一部分。
07:25
I followed其次 her because I knew知道
from her medical record記錄
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我追蹤她是因為我從她的病例發現
07:28
that she had never had
an infection感染 before.
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她以前從來沒有受過感染。
07:31
Once一旦 a month, this girl女孩
went to the hospital醫院
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每個月,這個女孩要去一次醫院,
07:33
to cough咳嗽 up a sputum sample樣品
that she spit in a cup杯子.
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對杯子咳痰,作為樣本。
07:36
This sample樣品 was transferred轉入
for bacterial細菌 analysis分析
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這個樣本會被送去做細菌分析,
07:40
at the central中央 laboratory實驗室
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由中央實驗室分析,
07:42
so the doctors醫生 could act法案 quickly很快
if they discovered發現 an infection感染.
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一旦發現感染,
醫生就可以儘快採取行動。
07:46
And it allowed允許 me to test測試 my device設備
on her samples樣本 as well.
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因此,我也可以用我的裝置
來檢測她的樣本。
07:49
The first two months個月 I measured測量
on her samples樣本, there was nothing.
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前兩個月,我在測量她的樣本時,
什麼都沒有發現。
07:53
But the third第三 month,
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但,在第三個月,
07:54
I discovered發現 some bacterial細菌
chatter喋喋不休 in her sample樣品.
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我發現她的樣本中
有些細菌開始竊竊私語了。
07:58
The bacteria were coordinating協調
to damage損傷 her lung tissue組織.
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這些細菌在協調,
打算要傷害她的肺部組織。
08:02
But the traditional傳統 diagnostics診斷
showed顯示 no bacteria at all.
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但傳統的診斷結果卻顯示沒有細菌。
08:07
I measured測量 again the next下一個 month,
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下個月,我再做一次測量,
08:09
and I could see that the bacterial細菌
conversations對話 became成為 even more aggressive侵略性.
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我發現細菌的談話變得更劇烈了。
08:14
Still, the traditional傳統
diagnostics診斷 showed顯示 nothing.
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傳統診斷的結果仍沒有顯示。
08:18
My study研究 ended結束, but a half a year later後來,
I followed其次 up on her status狀態
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我的研究就這樣結束了,
但半年後,我再追蹤她的狀況,
08:22
to see if the bacteria
only I knew知道 about had disappeared消失
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想了解一下,那些只有我發現的細菌
是否在沒有醫療
介入的情況下消失了。
08:25
without medical intervention介入.
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08:28
They hadn't有沒有.
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結果沒有消失。
08:30
But the girl女孩 was now diagnosed確診
with a severe嚴重 infection感染
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但那位女孩被診斷出
受到致命細菌的嚴重感染。
08:32
of deadly致命 bacteria.
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08:35
It was the very same相同 bacteria
my tool工具 discovered發現 earlier.
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那種細菌,正是我的工具
先前發現的細菌。
08:40
And despite儘管 aggressive侵略性
antibiotic抗生素 treatment治療,
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儘管採用積極的抗生素治療,
08:43
it was impossible不可能
to eradicate根除 the infection感染.
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仍然不可能根絕感染。
08:46
Doctors醫生 deemed認為 that she would not
survive生存 her 20s.
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醫生認定她無法活到三十歲。
08:52
When I measured測量 on this girl's女孩 samples樣本,
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當我在測量這個女孩的樣本時,
08:54
my tool工具 was still in the initial初始 stage階段.
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我的工具還在研發的初期。
08:56
I didn't even know
if my method方法 worked工作 at all,
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我當時甚至不知道
我的方法是否可行,
08:59
therefore因此 I had an agreement協議
with the doctors醫生
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因此,我和醫生們約定
我不會告訴他們
我的工具發現了什麼,
09:01
not to tell them what my tool工具 revealed透露
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09:03
in order訂購 not to compromise妥協
their treatment治療.
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這樣才不會影響到他們的治療。
09:06
So when I saw these results結果
that weren't even validated驗證,
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所以,當我看到這些
還沒有被驗證的結果時,
09:08
I didn't dare to tell
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我完全不敢說出來,
09:10
because treating治療 a patient患者
without an actual實際 infection感染
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因為治療沒有真正受到感染的病人
09:13
also has negative
consequences後果 for the patient患者.
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也會對病人造成不良的後果。
09:17
But now we know better,
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但,現在我們懂得更多了,
09:18
and there are many許多 young年輕 boys男孩
and girls女孩 that still can be saved保存
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還有很多年輕的男孩、
女孩可以得救,
09:23
because, unfortunately不幸,
this scenario腳本 happens發生 very often經常.
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因為,很不幸的,
這種情況經常發生:
09:26
Patients耐心 get infected感染,
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病人被感染,
09:28
the bacteria somehow不知何故 don't show顯示
on the traditional傳統 diagnostic診斷 test測試,
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不知怎麼的,傳統診斷
檢測不會發現細菌,
09:31
and suddenly突然, the infection感染 breaks休息 out
in the patient患者 with severe嚴重 symptoms症狀.
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突然間,感染在病人體內爆發,
引起嚴重的症狀。
09:35
And at that point, it's already已經 too late晚了.
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到那個時候,一切就太遲了。
09:39
The surprising奇怪 result結果
of the 62 patients耐心 I followed其次
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回到我追蹤的六十二位病人,
剛才提到的驚人結果
09:42
was that my device設備
caught抓住 bacterial細菌 conversations對話
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就是我的裝置
在至少一半用傳統方法
09:45
in more than half of the patient患者 samples樣本
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診斷為陰性的病人樣本中,
捕捉到細菌談話。
09:47
that were diagnosed確診 as negative
by traditional傳統 methods方法.
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09:51
In other words, more than half
of these patients耐心 went home thinking思維
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換言之,這些病人當中,
有超過一半回到家裡,
以為自己沒有受到感染,
09:55
they were free自由 from infection感染,
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09:56
although雖然 they actually其實 carried攜帶的
dangerous危險 bacteria.
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其實他們身上卻帶有危險的細菌。
10:01
Inside these wrongly diagnosed確診 patients耐心,
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在這些被誤診的病人體內,
10:03
bacteria were coordinating協調
a synchronized同步 attack攻擊.
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細菌正在協調要進行同步進攻。
10:07
They were whispering耳語 to each other.
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它們彼此竊竊私語。
我所謂的「竊竊私語細菌」
10:09
What I call "whispering耳語 bacteria"
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10:11
are bacteria that traditional傳統
methods方法 cannot不能 diagnose診斷.
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就是傳統方法無法
診斷出來的細菌。
10:15
So far, it's only the translation翻譯 tool工具
that can catch抓住 those whispers耳語.
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目前,只有這一種翻譯工具
能夠捕捉到這些竊竊私語。
10:20
I believe that the time frame
in which哪一個 bacteria are still whispering耳語
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我相信,當細菌仍然
在竊竊私語的期間,
10:23
is a window窗口 of opportunity機會
for targeted針對 treatment治療.
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就是個機會之窗,
可以進行標靶治療。
10:27
If the girl女孩 had been treated治療
during this window窗口 of opportunity機會,
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如果當時那個女孩能在
機會之窗期間接受治療,
還在初始階段的細菌
是有可能被治療殺死的,
10:30
it might威力 have been possible可能
to kill the bacteria
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10:33
in their initial初始 stage階段,
204
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10:34
before the infection感染 got out of hand.
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感染的狀況就不會失控。
10:39
What I experienced有經驗的 with this young年輕 girl女孩
made製作 me decide決定 to do everything I can
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關於這個女孩的這段經驗,
讓我決心要盡一切努力,
10:43
to push this technology技術 into the hospital醫院.
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將這項技術推廣到醫院。
10:46
Together一起 with doctors醫生,
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我已經在和醫生合作,
將這項工具導入到診所中,
10:47
I'm already已經 working加工
on implementing實施 this tool工具 in clinics診所
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10:50
to diagnose診斷 early infections感染.
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來診斷早期的感染。
10:53
Although雖然 it's still not known已知
how doctors醫生 should treat對待 patients耐心
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雖然,我們還不清楚
在這個竊竊私語階段
10:56
during the whispering耳語 phase,
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醫生該如何治療病人,
10:58
this tool工具 can help doctors醫生
keep a closer接近 eye on patients耐心 in risk風險.
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但這項工具能協助醫生
更留心有風險的病人。
11:02
It could help them confirm確認
if a treatment治療 had worked工作 or not,
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它能協助醫生確認
治療的結果是否有效,
11:05
and it could help answer回答 simple簡單 questions問題:
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它也能協助回答簡單的問題:
11:08
Is the patient患者 infected感染?
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病人是否受到感染?
11:10
And what are the bacteria up to?
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細菌有什麼打算?
11:12
Bacteria talk,
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細菌會交談,
11:14
they make secret秘密 plans計劃,
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它們會在背後秘謀,
11:16
and they send發送 confidential機密
information信息 to each other.
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它們會向彼此發送機密資訊。
11:20
But not only can we catch抓住 them whispering耳語,
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但,我們不僅能捕捉到
它們的竊竊私語,
11:22
we can all learn學習 their secret秘密 language語言
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大家都能學會它們的秘密語言,
11:25
and become成為 ourselves我們自己 bacterial細菌 whisperers靈媒.
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讓我們自己也會說細菌的暗號。
11:28
And, as bacteria would say,
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就如同細菌所說的:
11:31
"3-oxo-C-oxo-C12-aniline-阿尼林."
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「3-oxo-C12-苯胺。」
11:35
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
11:36
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
11:38
Thank you.
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謝謝。
Translated by Lilian Chiu
Reviewed by Yi-Fan Yu

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi - Nanophysicist, entrepreneur
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi invented a method to spy on the social behavior and communication of bacteria.

Why you should listen

Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi holds a PhD in nanotechnology and molecular biology, is a renowned fiction writer and the founder of PreDiagnose, where she's created next-generation diagnostics for early bacterial detection. She's an expert in developing micro- and nanosensors for the detection of cellular molecules and microorganisms.

As a result of her research and academic track, Alatraktchi has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Lundbeck Foundation Talent Prize for outstanding research talents in medicine and health and the PhD thesis of the year award by the Technical University of Denmark. She founded PreDiagnose to transform her research into concrete benefit for users. Forbes listed her as one of the 30 most influential people under 30 in Europe within science and health in 2019.

More profile about the speaker
Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi | Speaker | TED.com

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