首次從零開始建造酵母DNA後,科學家在製造人工生命上又近了一步

Scientists have found the key to artificial life after creating yeast from manmade DNA.

在用人造DNA生產出酵母之後，科學家們打開了一扇通往人工生命的大門。

The synthetic yeast could be used to create painkillers biofuel bread better able to withstand high temperatures and cheaper beer for the brewing industry.

合成酵母可以用來生產止痛藥、生物燃料、麪包，更能爲釀酒業提供廉價而耐高溫的啤酒。

More importantly yeast shares a quarter of its genes with humans so may allow biologists to build whole sections of DNA to prevent devastating diseases like cystic fibrosis.

最重要的是，這些酵母有四分之一的基因與人類基因相同，生物學家以此可生成一整個DNA組，用於預防囊性纖維化一類的可怕疾病。

Artificial yeast could be used for bread-baking as it is more resistant to high temperatures.

人工酵母對高溫的承受能力更強，可以很好地用於烘焙，

It could also make beer brewing cheaper by using yeast which is more tolerant to alcohol.

它對酒精的耐受性也更高，能夠使釀酒過程變得更加經濟，

It could also be used to manufacture painkillers antibiotics and biofuels which separate studies show could replace petrol and jet fuel.

還用於生產止痛藥、抗生素，以及被廣泛認爲可以替代傳統燃料的生物燃料。

Baker's yeast is similar to human cells but simpler and easier to study.

烘焙用的酵母與人類細胞相似，但其結構更簡單，易於研究。

Synthetic DNA created in the same way could be used to replace faulty DNA which causes diseases like cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome.

用同樣方法制造的人工合成DNA可以用來代替缺陷DNA，缺陷DNA會導致例如囊胞性纖維症和唐氏綜合症這樣的疾病。

An international team of scientists successfully replaced almost a third of the genetic material in baker's yeast after creating five new synthetic chromosomes with DNA made from chemicals in the laboratory.

一個國際科學家團隊用實驗室化學合成的DNA製造了五個新的合成染色體，已成功替換了烘焙酵母差不多三分之一的基因材料。

The team including researchers from Imperial College in London yesterday announced they plan to create entirely manmade yeast by the end of the year.

這個包含有倫敦帝國理工學院研究者的團隊在昨天宣佈，他們計劃到年底前製造出完全人造的酵母。

The breakthrough will reignite the debate over GM food as artificial yeast could in future be used to make bread more nutritious.

這個突破會重新激起轉基因食品的爭論，因爲人造酵母在未來可以使麪包更有營養。

It also raises fears over bioterrorism as the same DNA-swapping methods could be harnessed to create extra deadly viruses.

這同樣帶來了對生物恐怖主義的擔憂，因爲相同的DNA交換方法可以用來製造更有殺傷力的病毒。

However the researchers involved say it is a major milestone in the race to create the first fully artificial complex living organism.

但是，相關研究者說，第一次全合成一個複雜的活性微生物是一個巨大的里程碑。

They not only inserted new DNA into yeast but removed that which was unnecessary showing scientists can speed up evolution by taking the building blocks of life and rearranging them.

他們不僅將新DNA插入酵母，而且去除了一些不必要的DNA，結果顯示科學家可以利用生命的構造模塊（DNA），同時利用這些模塊的重新排列來加速進化。