科学家在空间站研究基因序列

Scientist to Sequence Genes¹ in Space 科学家在空间站研究基因序列

On Earth, American astronaut Kate Rubins researched some of the deadliest diseases like Ebola. Now, while orbiting the planet in the International Space Station, she will be testing a new device that analyzes³ genetic⁴ material.

Her job is to use a new kind of DNA⁵ sequencing machine and find out if it can be used in space.

DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is made of chains of molecules⁶ that carry the instructions for the development and growth of living things. Genes are made of DNA.

The device Rubins is testing is called the MinION⁷ DNA sequencer. It is made by the company Oxford⁸ Nanopore technologies.

The sequencer is small — about half the size of a smartphone. It sequences, or finds the order of, the DNA molecules found in cells.

The small device could have a big effect on understanding astronauts’ health in space.

The tests will show whether the technology can be used later to understand microbes in the space station. It might also help find genetic changes in the astronauts, and it might be able to diagnose illness in the future.

The National Aeronautics⁹ and Space Administration is the U.S. space agency. NASA said the device might even be able to test materials from Mars for signs of DNA-based life in future missions.

“And, uh, the hatch now opening to the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft and the arrival of three new crew members on the International Space Station. Kate Rubins, first through the hatch...”

Rubins arrived at the space station in July. She is a trained microbiologist. She is known for her work with dangerous organisms that cause diseases.

“So I think that people always look at my background and think I’m going to do something crazy, science fiction on the space station. But we do have a lot of controls up here and anything we bring up to the space station has to be checked for safety...”

Safety is so important because the space station is a “closed loop environment.” That means the air and water is recycled.

Rubins says NASA scientists came up with an “incredibly well thought out set of experiments.” The experiments include testing a virus and bacteria that are used in many labs on Earth and are not harmful.

One of the first things the astronauts need to find out is how well the DNA sequencer operates in space, where there is almost no gravity.

“Technology behaves differently up here. Fluids behave differently up here. Bubbles form in fluids. And so it’s going to be a really interesting piece of equipment just to check out and to understand.”

Sarah Wallace is a microbiologist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She calls the MinION sequencer a “game changer” in space.

Until now, samples from space had to be frozen and returned to Earth to be studied. If the device is successful, scientists will be able to see what is happening to human beings and to cells in real time.

The machine could be used to help diagnose illnesses in astronauts living on the station. It also could help astronauts understand which drugs would work on disease-causing microbes if someone is sick at the station. This could help limit using valuable medications that cannot be quickly replaced in space.

Wallace explains that the MinION sequencer operates differently from other DNA sequencers. Others usually take 24 to 48 hours to run, then stop. But up in space, this sequencer will display its results as it works.

“Within minutes of loading your sample,” Wallace says, “you’re starting to get the sequence data back.”

If all goes well, the machine will be able to tell which genes are “turning on and off” in response to being in space. This is important, Wallace says, because “we know that there are changes in space flight.” But scientists still do not know how and why the astronauts’ bodies are changing.

“We need to know the how and the why,” Wallace says. This is important for NASA to know to be able to send people on longer space flights to places like Mars.

In the future, Astronaut Rubins would like to use the DNA sequencer to learn more about possible microbes that might live in the station’s water system and elsewhere on the space station.

They have “wonderful clean water” in the station, Rubins says. But she wonders if microbes could be living in the water system after it has been in place for 15 years. The water on the station comes from recycled urine and condensate – sweat and exhaled¹¹ breath.

She says there are “interesting scientific questions” to answer about how people live in space.

“We’ve also got a fantastic research environment to really learn some completely novel things about how human beings behave in a closed loop environment.”

This device joins other instruments on the space station that can be used to discover problems, including one device that can test single genes.

“These kinds of small, portable genomic technologies are going to let us look, in real time, what’s actually happening to bone degradation¹², for example. What’s happening to your immune system. ”

The technology already has been used successfully on Earth. During the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa, it was used for tests in rural and poor areas where it worked quickly, and well.

Words in This Story

analyze² –v. to study, to look at closely

sequence –v. to place in the correct order

microbe –n. a very small, simple living thing that requires a microscope to see

game changer –adj. something that represents a big change

diagnose –v. to recognize a disease or problem

condensate –n. something that condenses

sweat –n. water released from the skin

exhale¹⁰ –v. to breathe out

novel –adj. new, unusual

1 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

2 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

3 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

6 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 minion   

n.宠仆；宠爱之人

参考例句：

• At worst some egregious minion had conducted a childish private enterprise.这最多也不过是一批低能的小人物自己干的无聊把戏而已。
• She delegated the job to one of her minions.她把这份工作委派给她的一个手下。

8 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

9 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

10 exhale   

v.呼气，散出，吐出，蒸发

参考例句：

• Sweet odours exhale from flowers.花儿散发出花香。
• Wade exhaled a cloud of smoke and coughed.韦德吐出一口烟，然后咳嗽起来。

11 exhaled   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
• He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚，他吐了口长气，很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

12 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。