VOA慢速英语--美英三位科学家因酶定向进化获诺贝尔奖

Americans, Briton Win Nobel Chemistry Prize for ‘Directed Evolution’

Two Americans and one Briton have won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing new processes used to create drugs, chemicals and biofuels.

Frances Arnold of the California Institute of Technology will receive half the prize, worth about $1 million. The other half will be shared by George Smith of the University of Missouri and Gregory Winter of the MRC Molecular¹ Biology Laboratory in Cambridge, England.

Academy: directed evolution

The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences said Arnold used the processes of natural selection to create enzymes². Enzymes are complex proteins that make many chemical reactions possible.

The academy described the process as being similar to biological evolution. It said the Nobel winners applied³ “the power of evolution and used the same principles – genetic⁴ change and selection – to develop proteins that solve mankind’s chemical problems.”

Arnold first tested her method of what has been called “directed evolution” in 1993. Others now commonly use it to create new enzymes. These enzymes can be used in chemical processes that produce medicines. They also can be used to help create chemicals that are safe for the environment and to make biofuels.

New biological proteins

The other half of this year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry will be shared by George Smith and Gregory Winter.

Smith developed a method to make new biological proteins in 1985. Smith’s method is known as “phage display.” In this process, viruses that can infect bacteria, known as bacteriophages, are used to produce new proteins that are not believed to exist in nature.

Winter used Smith’s phage display method to create new kinds of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that help fight infection in the body. Winter’s aim was to use “phage display” to make new medicines.

The first medicine based on Smith’s and Winter’s methods, adalimumab, also known as Humira, was approved by drug officials in 2002. It is a popular way to treat rheumatoid arthritis⁵, some skin diseases and inflammatory bowel⁶ diseases. The drug is also costly⁷, creating billions of dollars in sales around the world.

The academy says, in recent years, the phage display method has created antibodies able to do a wide number of health-related tasks. Newly created antibodies can make some poisonous substances safe, fight autoimmune diseases and even cure some forms of cancer.

After learning that he had won the Nobel Prize, Smith spoke⁸ to the Associated Press. The 77-year-old chemist said his discoveries could not have been made without the earlier work of many others.

“Very few research breakthroughs are novel. Virtually all of them build on what went on before,” he said.

Arnold, who is 62 years old, joins four other women who have won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

She spoke to Reuters after hearing that she had won the Nobel Prize. “Some people breed cats and dogs,” she said, “I breed molecules⁹.”

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry is one of the five prizes first given in 1901. They were the wish of Swedish industrialist¹⁰ Alfred Nobel, who established the organization that provides money for the prizes. The awards honor discoveries that have provided “the greatest benefit to mankind.”

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

selection –n. the process of choosing

principles –n. a basic truth or theory, and idea that forms the basis of something

phage (bacteriophage)–n. a virus that infects and reproduces within bacteria

autoimmune –adj. related to a situation in which tissue is attacked by the body’s own immune system

novel –adj. new, different from what has been known before

virtually –adv. almost entirely¹¹

breed –v. to keep and take care of animals or plants in order to produce more with similar qualities

benefit –n. a good or helpful effect

1 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

2 enzymes   

n. 酶，酵素

参考例句：

• It was said that washing powders containing enzymes remove stains more efficiently. 据说加酶洗衣粉除污更有效。
• Among the enzymes which are particularly effective are pepsin, papain. 在酶当中特别有效的是胃朊酶、木瓜酶。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

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 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

6 bowel   

n.肠(尤指人肠)；内部，深处

参考例句：

• Irritable bowel syndrome seems to affect more women than men.女性比男性更易患肠易激综合征。
• Have you had a bowel movement today?你今天有排便吗？

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 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。

10 industrialist   

n.工业家，实业家

参考例句：

• The industrialist's son was kidnapped.这名实业家的儿子被绑架了。
• Mr.Smith was a wealthy industrialist,but he was not satisfied with life.史密斯先生是位富有的企业家，可他对生活感到不满意。

11 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。