VOA慢速英语--法国和美国妇女因基因工具获得诺贝尔化学奖

French, American Women Win Nobel in Chemistry for Genetic¹ Tool

French and American scientists won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Wednesday for developing a tool that can change the genetic material of living things.

Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and American Jennifer Doudna developed the genetic tool known as CRISPR-cas9. The tool has been described as "molecular³ scissors" which can change nucleic acids, such as DNA², which hold the genetic information necessary for life.

The 2020 chemistry prize marks only the fourth time that a Nobel in the sciences was awarded exclusively to women. Female researchers have long received less recognition for their work than men in the prize's 119-year history.

The Swedish Academy of Sciences said Charpentier and Doudna's discovery has helped provide new treatments for cancer. It also might supply a way to cure diseases passed down through generations. But the tool also raises some ethical⁴ concerns.

‘Molecular scissors'

CRISPR-cas9 came as an unexpected discovery. Charpentier had been studying the genetic material of an ancient bacterium⁵ Streptococcus pyogenes. It is a cause of infections in humans. The Nobel committee said that Charpentier's work showed that part of the bacterium's RNA, another nucleic acid, can cut long DNA molecules⁸.

The French scientist worked with Doudna who is an expert in RNA. They processed and simplified the "molecular scissors" so they are easier to use and can cut any DNA molecule⁷ at an exact place. In the words of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences: "Where the DNA is cut it is then easy to rewrite the code of life."

‘Changes in the instruction book'

"There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all," said Claes Gustafsson, the chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. He added that any set of genes⁶ can now be edited, or changed, "to fix genetic damage."

Francis Collins is a doctor who led the effort to map the human genome. He also is director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health which helped support Doudna's work. He said the technology "has changed everything" about how to deal with diseases with a genetic cause, such as sickle⁹ cell disease.

Collins said that the CRISPR tool combined with the mapping of the human genome was meaningful.

"You can draw a direct line from the success of the human genome project to the power of CRISPR-cas to make changes in the instruction book," he said.

The technology has so much power that many scientists warn that it raises serious ethical questions. In 2018, a Chinese scientist He JianKui announced that he had used CRISPR to genetically¹⁰ change several human embryos¹¹ to resist HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The babies reportedly were born healthy.

‘Playing God'

But He's experimental work on embryos was denounced around the world as unsafe. The long term results for the genetically-edited children and their possible future children are unknowable.

Last year, the scientist was sentenced to three years in prison in connection with his work.

In September of this year, a report from an international group of experts declared that it is still too soon to try to genetically edit babies.

"Being able to selectively edit genes means that you are playing God in a way," said American Chemistry Society President Luis Echegoyen.

‘A positive message to young girls'

The research that led to the CRISPR tool was published in June 2012. That makes the prize winning effort recent in comparison to other Nobel wins. Charpentier noted¹²: "This discovery is only eight years ago...Everyone is using now the CRIPSR-cas9."

Of winning the prize, Doudna said, "My greatest hope is that it's used for good, to uncover new mysteries in biology and to benefit humankind."

Charpentier was asked about the importance of women winning the science prize. She answered, "I wish this will provide a positive message to young girls who would like to follow the path of science."

With Charpentier and Doudna, three women have won science Nobel prizes so far this year and seven have now won the prize in Chemistry. As of Wednesday, 57 Nobel Prizes have gone to women. Marie Curie won the Physics prize twice. In addition, nearly half of that number —24— have been awarded in the 21st century.

Charpentier and Doudna have been recognized as the first to develop the CRISPR technology. However, many other scientists have done important work related to it. There has also been a legal dispute with the Broad Institute at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over legal ownership of some parts of the technology.

The 51-year-old Charpentier is currently the director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. Doudna, who is 56, works for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has ties to the University of California, Berkeley.

They are to share the prize valued at $1.1 million.

Words in This Story

scissors –n. (pl.) a tool used for cutting materials made of two blades joined together in the middle so that the sharp edges slide against one another

code –n. signs that identify or gives information about something to someone

genome –n. the complete set of genetic material of a human or another living thing

instruction –n. a statement that describes how to do something

selectively –adv. involving choosing somethings and not others

benefit –v. to be helpful to

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

5 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

6 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

7 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

8 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。

9 sickle   

n.镰刀

参考例句：

• The gardener was swishing off the tops of weeds with a sickle.园丁正在用镰刀嗖嗖地割掉杂草的顶端。
• There is a picture of the sickle on the flag. 旗帜上有镰刀的图案。

10 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

11 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。