TED2014
Janet Iwasa: How animations can help scientists test a hypothesis
珍妮特 伊瓦萨: 动画如何帮助科学家检验假说
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三维动画能够将科学假说带进生活当中。分子生物学家（和TED成员）珍妮特.伊瓦萨介绍了一款新的为科学家们设计的开源动画软件。
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Take a look at this drawing.
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请看这幅图。
00:14
Can you tell what it is?
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大家知道这是什么吗？
00:16
I'm a molecular biologist by training,
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我是一个接受过训练的分子生物学家。
00:18
and I've seen a lot of these kinds of drawings.
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因此我已经看过了很多这类图片。
00:21
They're usually referred to as a model figure,
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他们通常被称作模型图片,
00:24
a drawing that shows how we think
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展示我们对细胞或分子过程
00:26
a cellular or molecular process occurs.
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是如何进行的理解。
00:29
This particular drawing is of a process
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这幅图描述的是这样一个过程,
00:31
called clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
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它叫网格蛋白介质的内吞。
00:35
It's a process by which a molecule can get
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该过程是指一个分子可以
00:38
from the outside of the cell to the inside
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从细胞外转运入细胞内。
00:40
by getting captured in a bubble or a vesicle
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转入的方式是通过先被捕捉进小泡或囊中,
00:43
that then gets internalized by the cell.
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随后被细胞内在化。
00:46
There's a problem with this drawing, though,
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但这幅图有一个问题,
00:47
and it's mainly in what it doesn't show.
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这个问题主要是这幅图所没有表现的东西。
00:50
From lots of experiments,
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从大量的实验中,
00:51
from lots of different scientists,
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从大量不同的科学家身上,
00:53
we know a lot about what these molecules look like,
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我们对这些分子的样子,
00:56
how they move around in the cell,
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它们是如何在细胞内移动的了解很多。
00:58
and that this is all taking place
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这些都发生在
01:00
in an incredibly dynamic environment.
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一个不可思议的动态的环境中。
01:03
So in collaboration with a clathrin
expert Tomas Kirchhausen,
expert Tomas Kirchhausen,
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因此，在与网格蛋白专家托马斯·科切豪斯合作中,
01:06
we decided to create a new kind of model figure
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我们决定创造一个新的模型图片。
01:09
that showed all of that.
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它可以展示所有的细节。
01:11
So we start outside of the cell.
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于是我们从细胞外开始。
01:12
Now we're looking inside.
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现在，我们看到的是内部。
01:14
Clathrin are these three-legged molecules
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网格蛋白就是那些三条腿的分子。
01:16
that can self-assemble into soccer-ball-like shapes.
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它们可以自己组合成足球的形状。
01:19
Through connections with a membrane,
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通过膜的相互连接,
01:21
clathrin is able to deform the membrane
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网格蛋白可以使膜发生变形,
01:23
and form this sort of a cup
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然后形成这种像杯子一样的形状
01:25
that forms this sort of a bubble, or a vesicle,
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接着形成这种像小泡或小囊样的形状,
01:27
that's now capturing some of the proteins
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现在它正在捕捉一些
01:29
that were outside of the cell.
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细胞外的蛋白质。
01:30
Proteins are coming in now that
basically pinch off this vesicle,
basically pinch off this vesicle,
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蛋白质正在进入，基本上掐断了小囊,
01:34
making it separate from the rest of the membrane,
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使得它从膜上分离开来。
01:36
and now clathrin is basically done with its job,
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现在，网格蛋白基本上已经完成了它的使命,
01:39
and so proteins are coming in now —
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于是，蛋白质就进来了。
01:40
we've covered them yellow and orange —
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我们用黄色和橙色来标记它们。
01:42
that are responsible for taking
apart this clathrin cage.
apart this clathrin cage.
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它们负责将网格蛋白形成的笼子拆开,
01:45
And so all of these proteins
can get basically recycled
can get basically recycled
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于是所有这些蛋白质基本上都可以循环,
01:48
and used all over again.
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重新加以利用。
01:49
These processes are too small to be seen directly,
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这些过程太小了以至于无法看到,
01:53
even with the best microscopes,
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即使是用最好的显微镜,
01:55
so animations like this provide a really powerful way
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因此，像这样的动画就提供了一个强大的工具
01:57
of visualizing a hypothesis.
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把一个假说可视化。
02:00
Here's another illustration,
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这是另一个例子,
02:02
and this is a drawing of how a researcher might think
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这幅图展示了研究人员是如何猜想
02:05
that the HIV virus gets into and out of cells.
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艾滋病毒进入与离开细胞的。
02:08
And again, this is a vast oversimplification
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同样，这是一个极大的简化,
02:11
and doesn't begin to show
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而且还没开始显示,
02:13
what we actually know about these processes.
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我们对这些过程实际的了解。
02:15
You might be surprised to know
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你可能会惊奇的发现,
02:17
that these simple drawings are the only way
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这些简单的图画就是
02:20
that most biologists visualize
their molecular hypotheses.
their molecular hypotheses.
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绝大多数生物学家
可视化他们分子假说的唯一途径。
可视化他们分子假说的唯一途径。
02:24
Why?
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为什么？
02:25
Because creating movies of processes
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因为将我们认为实际上发生的过程
02:27
as we think they actually occur is really hard.
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用电影的形式创作出来是非常困难的。
02:30
I spent months in Hollywood
learning 3D animation software,
learning 3D animation software,
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我在好莱坞花了数个月学习三维动画软件。
02:34
and I spend months on each animation,
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每一个动画我都花了数月来制作。
02:36
and that's just time that most
researchers can't afford.
researchers can't afford.
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这些时间对大多数研究员来说太长了。
02:39
The payoffs can be huge, though.
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但是，回报也是巨大的。
02:41
Molecular animations are unparalleled
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分子动画是前所未有的。
02:44
in their ability to convey a great deal of information
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它们能向广大的观众
02:47
to broad audiences with extreme accuracy.
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传达大量精准的信息。
02:51
And I'm working on a new project now
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我现在正从事一个新的项目,
02:52
called "The Science of HIV"
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它的名字叫“艾滋病病毒的科学”。
02:54
where I'll be animating the entire life cycle
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在这个项目中，我会尽可能准确地
02:56
of the HIV virus as accurately as possible
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将HIV病毒的整个生命周期用动画描绘出来，
02:59
and all in molecular detail.
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所有的这些都会细致到分子级别。
03:01
The animation will feature data
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动画会取材于数千名科学家
03:03
from thousands of researchers
collected over decades,
collected over decades,
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在近几十年来收集的数据。
03:06
data on what this virus looks like,
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这些数据告诉我们这种病毒的形态,
03:09
how it's able to infect cells in our body,
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它如何感染我们身体中的细胞,
03:13
and how therapeutics are
helping to combat infection.
helping to combat infection.
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以及如何对感染进行治疗。
03:17
Over the years, I found that animations
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多年以来，我发现动画
03:19
aren't just useful for communicating an idea,
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不仅仅便于交流思想,
03:22
but they're also really useful
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它们同样在
03:23
for exploring a hypothesis.
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探索假说上发挥作用。
03:25
Biologists for the most part are
still using a paper and pencil
still using a paper and pencil
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许多生物学家仍使用笔和纸
03:29
to visualize the processes they study,
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来将他们研究的过程可视化,
03:31
and with the data we have now,
that's just not good enough anymore.
that's just not good enough anymore.
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使用的也是我们目前已有的数据,
但这远远不够。
但这远远不够。
03:34
The process of creating an animation
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创作动画的过程
03:37
can act as a catalyst that allows researchers
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可以像催化剂一样，让研究人员
03:39
to crystalize and refine their own ideas.
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把想法清晰化，使之完善。
03:42
One researcher I worked with
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我与一位研究员合作过,
03:44
who works on the molecular mechanisms
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她的研究方向是
03:46
of neurodegenerative diseases
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神经变性疾病的分子机理
03:48
came up with experiments that were related
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她提出一些与动画有直接相关的实验，
03:50
directly to the animation that
she and I worked on together,
she and I worked on together,
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于是我和她齐心协力,
03:53
and in this way, animation can
feed back into the research process.
feed back into the research process.
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这样，动画就能反馈到研究过程中。
03:57
I believe that animation can change biology.
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我相信动画能够改变生物学。
04:00
It can change the way that we
communicate with one another,
communicate with one another,
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它可以改变我们与他人的交流方式,
04:02
how we explore our data
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我们如何分析数据,
04:04
and how we teach our students.
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以及我们如何教育学生。
04:05
But for that change to happen,
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但要想这些改变发生,
04:07
we need more researchers creating animations,
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我们需要更多的研究人员创作动画。
04:10
and toward that end, I brought together a team
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为实现这一目标，我召集了一支
04:12
of biologists, animators and programmers
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由生物学家、动画师和程序员组成的团队。
04:15
to create a new, free, open-source software —
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开发了一款全新的、免费的、开源的软件。
04:18
we call it Molecular Flipbook —
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我们称它为“分子原始动画”。
04:20
that's created just for biologists
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它为生物学家而生,
04:22
just to create molecular animations.
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专门用来创作分子动画。
04:26
From our testing, we've found
that it only takes 15 minutes
that it only takes 15 minutes
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测试显示，仅需要15分钟
04:29
for a biologist who has never
touched animation software before
touched animation software before
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一个从未接触动画软件的生物学家
04:33
to create her first molecular animation
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就可以将她的假说猜想
04:35
of her own hypothesis.
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创作成她的第一个分子动画。
04:37
We're also building an online database
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我们同时也建立了一个在线数据库,
04:39
where anyone can view, download and contribute
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任何人都可以查看、下载
04:42
their own animations.
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以及上传他们自己的动画。
04:43
We're really excited to announce
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我们非常激动地宣布
04:45
that the beta version of the molecular animation
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这款分子动画制作软件的测试版
04:48
software toolkit will be available for download today.
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今天就可以下载了。
04:52
We are really excited to see
what biologists will create with it
what biologists will create with it
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看到生物学家用它来创作东西
04:55
and what new insights they're able to gain
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以及他们从自己创作的动画中
04:57
from finally being able to animate
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得到的启示
04:58
their own model figures.
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我们为此感到激动不已。
05:00
Thank you.
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谢谢。
05:02
(Applause)
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(鼓掌)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Janet Iwasa - Molecular animatorWhy you should listen
While we know a lot about molecular processes, they can’t be observed directly, and scientists have to rely on simple, two-dimensional drawings to depict complex hypotheses. That is, they did until now. Janet Iwasa’s colorful and action-packed 3D animations bring scientific hypotheses to life, showing how we think molecules look, move and interact. Not only is molecular animation a powerful way to illustrate ideas and convey information to general audiences, it’s also a powerful tools for inspiring new research. However, 3D molecular animation using commercial software requires skill and time, so Iwasa has created a simpler 3D animation software tool for biologists, allowing researchers to intuitively and quickly model molecular hypotheses. In 2014, she launched the beta of her new free, open-source animation software, Molecular Flipbook, which allows biologists to create molecular animations of their own hypotheses in just 15 minutes.
More profile about the speakerJanet Iwasa | Speaker | TED.com