TED2018
Penny Chisholm: The tiny creature that secretly powers the planet
佩妮 · 奇斯霍姆: 秘密为地球提供动力的微小生物
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海洋学家佩妮 · 奇斯霍姆向我们介绍了一种神奇的小生物：原绿球藻，地球上最丰富的光合作用物种。尽管这种微生物已经存在了数百万年，却直至1980年代才被发现——但它的远古基因代码可能包含了我们如何减少化学燃料依赖的密码。
Penny Chisholm - Microbial oceanographer, author
Penny Chisholm studies an extremely tiny microorganism that plays an enormous role in ocean ecosystems. Discovered only three decades ago, it has defined her career and inspired her to think differently about life on Earth. Full bio
Penny Chisholm studies an extremely tiny microorganism that plays an enormous role in ocean ecosystems. Discovered only three decades ago, it has defined her career and inspired her to think differently about life on Earth. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'd like to introduce you
to a tiny microorganism
to a tiny microorganism
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我想向你们介绍一种小小的微生物，
00:16
that you've probably never heard of:
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你们可能从没有听说过：
00:18
its name is Prochlorococcus,
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它叫原绿球藻，
00:20
and it's really an amazing little being.
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是一种非常神奇的微生物。
00:23
For one thing, its ancestors
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一方面，它的祖先
00:26
changed the earth in ways
that made it possible for us to evolve,
that made it possible for us to evolve,
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改变了地球环境，
使其适合人类的演化，
使其适合人类的演化，
00:30
and hidden in its genetic code
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而隐藏在其遗传密码中的
00:32
is a blueprint
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是一个蓝图，
00:34
that may inspire ways to reduce
our dependency on fossil fuel.
our dependency on fossil fuel.
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可以启发我们找到减少
对化石燃料依赖的方法。
对化石燃料依赖的方法。
00:40
But the most amazing thing
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但最让人惊奇的是
00:42
is that there are
three billion billion billion
three billion billion billion
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地球上拥有3乘10的27次方之多的
00:45
of these tiny cells on the planet,
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这种微生物，
00:46
and we didn't know they existed
until 35 years ago.
until 35 years ago.
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而我们直至35年前
才知道它们的存在。
才知道它们的存在。
00:51
So to tell you their story,
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要给你们讲它们的故事，
00:52
I need to first take you way back,
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我需要首先带你们回到过去，
00:55
four billion years ago, when the earth
might have looked something like this.
might have looked something like this.
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40亿年前的地球可能长这样。
01:00
There was no life on the planet,
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毫无生息，
01:02
there was no oxygen in the atmosphere.
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大气层中没有一点氧气。
01:05
So what happened to change that planet
into the one we enjoy today,
into the one we enjoy today,
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是什么让地球变得
像今天这样宜居，
像今天这样宜居，
01:11
teeming with life,
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充满生命，
01:12
teeming with plants and animals?
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到处是植物和动物？
01:15
Well, in a word, photosynthesis.
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一个词，光合作用。
01:19
About two and a half billion years ago,
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在大约25亿年前，
01:21
some of these ancient ancestors
of Prochlorococcus evolved
of Prochlorococcus evolved
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原绿球藻的部分
远古祖先发生了进化，
远古祖先发生了进化，
01:25
so that they could use solar energy
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这样它们就可以使用太阳能，
01:27
and absorb it
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吸收这些能量，
01:28
and split water into its component parts
of oxygen and hydrogen.
of oxygen and hydrogen.
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并利用其将水分解成氧和氢。
01:33
And they used the chemical energy produced
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它们使用产生的化学能
01:36
to draw CO2, carbon dioxide,
out of the atmosphere
out of the atmosphere
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把二氧化碳从大气中抽取出来，
01:40
and use it to build sugars
and proteins and amino acids,
and proteins and amino acids,
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并用于制造糖分，蛋白质和氨基酸，
01:44
all the things that life is made of.
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所有这些组成生命的元素。
01:47
And as they evolved and grew more and more
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随着它们不断演化，数量日渐增加，
01:50
over millions and millions of years,
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历经数百万年之后，
01:52
that oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere.
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大气中的氧气慢慢积累起来。
01:57
Until about 500 million years ago,
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直到大约5亿前，
02:00
there was enough in the atmosphere
that larger organisms could evolve.
that larger organisms could evolve.
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大气中的氧气足够多到
让更大的生物可以进化。
让更大的生物可以进化。
02:03
There was an explosion of life-forms,
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迎来了生命形态的大爆发，
02:05
and, ultimately, we appeared on the scene.
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最终，人类出现在了历史舞台上。
02:09
While that was going on,
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在这一切发生的过程中，
02:11
some of those ancient
photosynthesizers died
photosynthesizers died
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部分这些远古的光合作用系统死去，
02:14
and were compressed and buried,
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被压缩和埋葬，
02:17
and became fossil fuel
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变成了用碳键
02:19
with sunlight buried
in their carbon bonds.
in their carbon bonds.
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储存太阳能量的化石燃料。
02:23
They're basically buried sunlight
in the form of coal and oil.
in the form of coal and oil.
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它们基本上是用煤炭
和石油的形式储存太阳能的。
和石油的形式储存太阳能的。
02:29
Today's photosynthesizers,
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今天的光合作用系统，
02:30
their engines are descended
from those ancient microbes,
from those ancient microbes,
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它们的引擎是那些
古老微生物的后代，
古老微生物的后代，
02:36
and they feed basically
all of life on earth.
all of life on earth.
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它们基本上养育了
地球上所有的生物。
地球上所有的生物。
02:40
Your heart is beating
using the solar energy
using the solar energy
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你心脏的跳动使用的是来自植物
02:43
that some plant processed for you,
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为你加工的太阳能，
02:46
and the stuff your body is made out of
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你的身体部件是由植物为你加工的
02:48
is made out of CO2
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二氧化碳
02:50
that some plant processed for you.
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制造而成。
02:53
Basically, we're all made
out of sunlight and carbon dioxide.
out of sunlight and carbon dioxide.
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总的来说，我们都由
阳光和二氧化碳所造。
阳光和二氧化碳所造。
02:58
Fundamentally, we're just hot air.
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说白了，我们只是热空气罢了。
03:00
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
03:04
So as terrestrial beings,
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作为陆地生物，
03:06
we're very familiar
with the plants on land:
with the plants on land:
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我们对地上的植物很熟悉：
03:09
the trees, the grasses,
the pastures, the crops.
the pastures, the crops.
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树木，草，牧场，庄稼。
03:14
But the oceans are filled
with billions of tons of animals.
with billions of tons of animals.
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但海洋里充满了数十亿吨的动物。
03:17
Do you ever wonder what's feeding them?
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你们有没有好奇它们都吃些什么？
03:21
Well there's an invisible pasture
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海洋里面有一片看不见的牧场，
03:23
of microscopic photosynthesizers
called phytoplankton
called phytoplankton
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由一种叫做浮游植物的
微型光合成器组成，
微型光合成器组成，
03:27
that fill the upper
200 meters of the ocean,
200 meters of the ocean,
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填满了海洋顶层的200米，
03:32
and they feed the entire
open ocean ecosystem.
open ocean ecosystem.
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它们为整个海洋生态系统提供食物。
03:35
Some of the animals
live among them and eat them,
live among them and eat them,
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有些动物生活于其中，以它们为食，
03:37
and others swim up
to feed on them at night,
to feed on them at night,
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另一些晚上游过来吞食它们，
03:40
while others sit in the deep
and wait for them to die and settle down
and wait for them to die and settle down
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还有一些静坐海洋深处，
等待它们死亡，沉降，
等待它们死亡，沉降，
03:44
and then they chow down on them.
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从而享受美餐。
03:47
So these tiny phytoplankton,
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这些微小的浮游植物
03:50
collectively, weigh less than
one percent of all the plants on land,
one percent of all the plants on land,
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加在一起，只占地球
植物重量不到1/100，
植物重量不到1/100，
03:54
but annually they photosynthesize
as much as all of the plants on land,
as much as all of the plants on land,
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但每年它们的光合作用总量
不亚于陆地上的所有植物，
不亚于陆地上的所有植物，
03:58
including the Amazon rainforest
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包括亚马逊雨林在内，
04:01
that we consider the lungs of the planet.
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这个我们视为地球之肺的雨林。
04:04
Every year, they fix
50 billion tons of carbon
50 billion tons of carbon
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每一年，它们以二氧化碳的形式
04:08
in the form of carbon dioxide
into their bodies
into their bodies
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在体内固定500亿吨的碳，
04:11
that feeds the ocean ecosystem.
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从而为整个海洋系统提供食物。
04:15
How does this tiny amount of biomass
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这些微小的生物是如何产生
04:17
produce as much as all the plants on land?
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跟地上的植物一样多的氧气的呢？
04:19
Well, they don't have trunks and stems
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它们并没有树干和茎，
04:22
and flowers and fruits
and all that to maintain.
and all that to maintain.
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鲜花和果实这些维持生命的东西。
04:25
All they have to do is grow and divide
and grow and divide.
and grow and divide.
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它们所要做的无非是
重复地成长和分裂。
重复地成长和分裂。
04:28
They're really lean
little photosynthesis machines.
little photosynthesis machines.
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它们是非常小的光合作用机器。
04:33
They really crank.
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真是全力以赴地在工作。
04:39
So there are thousands
of different species of phytoplankton,
of different species of phytoplankton,
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有成千上万种不同种类的浮游植物，
04:43
come in all different shapes and sizes,
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有不同的形状和大小，
04:45
all roughly less than the width
of a human hair.
of a human hair.
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它们的尺寸都小于
人类的头发宽度。
人类的头发宽度。
04:48
Here, I'm showing you
some of the more beautiful ones,
some of the more beautiful ones,
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这里，我给大家展示
其中最漂亮的一些，
其中最漂亮的一些，
04:52
the textbook versions.
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几乎是教科书版本。
04:54
I call them the charismatic
species of phytoplankton.
species of phytoplankton.
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我称它们为魅力非凡的浮游植物。
05:00
And here is Prochlorococcus.
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这就是原绿球藻。
05:04
I know,
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我知道。
05:05
it just looks like a bunch
of schmutz on a microscope slide.
of schmutz on a microscope slide.
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这看起来就像是
显微玻璃片上的脏东西。
显微玻璃片上的脏东西。
05:08
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
05:10
But they're in there,
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但它们就在其中，
05:12
and I'm going to reveal them
to you in a minute.
to you in a minute.
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我马上就会展示给你们看。
05:15
But first I want to tell you
how they were discovered.
how they were discovered.
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但首先，我想告诉大家
它们是如何被发现的。
它们是如何被发现的。
05:20
About 38 years ago,
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在大约38年前，
05:22
we were playing around with a technology
in my lab called flow cytometry
in my lab called flow cytometry
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我们在实验室里时兴玩一项
叫做流式细胞术的技术，
叫做流式细胞术的技术，
05:27
that was developed for biomedical research
for studying cells like cancer cells,
for studying cells like cancer cells,
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该技术是为研究癌细胞等
生物医学研究而开发的，
生物医学研究而开发的，
05:33
but it turns out we were using it
for this off-label purpose
for this off-label purpose
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但结果，我们用它来
实现这个标示外的目的，
实现这个标示外的目的，
05:36
which was to study phytoplankton,
and it was beautifully suited to do that.
and it was beautifully suited to do that.
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用于研究浮游植物，
也是非常适合的。
也是非常适合的。
05:41
And here's how it works:
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这是它工作的原理：
05:43
so you inject a sample
in this tiny little capillary tube,
in this tiny little capillary tube,
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你把样本注入到这个
微小的毛细管中，
微小的毛细管中，
05:47
and the cells go single file by a laser,
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细胞在激光照射下一个个通过，
05:51
and as they do, they scatter light
according to their size
according to their size
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在这过程中，它们根据
不同的大小散射光线，
不同的大小散射光线，
05:55
and they emit light according
to whatever pigments they might have,
to whatever pigments they might have,
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并根据它们可能含有的色素发出光，
05:59
whether they're natural
or whether you stain them.
or whether you stain them.
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不管是天然的还是后天被染色的。
06:01
And the chlorophyl of phytoplankton,
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浮游植物的叶绿素
06:05
which is green,
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是绿色的，
06:06
emits red light
when you shine blue light on it.
when you shine blue light on it.
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当你把蓝光照射在
上面时，就发出红光。
上面时，就发出红光。
06:10
And so we used this instrument
for several years
for several years
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所以我们使用这种仪器好些年
06:13
to study our phytoplankton cultures,
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去研究我们的浮游植物培养群，
06:15
species like those charismatic
ones that I showed you,
ones that I showed you,
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这种我给你们看的有魅力的物种，
06:19
just studying their basic cell biology.
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只是研究它们基本的细胞生物学。
06:22
But all that time, we thought,
well wouldn't it be really cool
well wouldn't it be really cool
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但在这段时间里，
我们想，假如我们把
我们想，假如我们把
06:25
if we could take an instrument
like this out on a ship
like this out on a ship
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这种仪器带到船上，
06:27
and just squirt seawater through it
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用它来喷洒海水，
06:29
and see what all those diversity
of phytoplankton would look like.
of phytoplankton would look like.
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看看多样性的浮游植物
会是什么样子，这不是很酷吗？
会是什么样子，这不是很酷吗？
06:34
So I managed to get my hands
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所以我设法得到了
06:36
on what we call a big rig
in flow cytometry,
in flow cytometry,
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我们称之为流式细胞仪中的大钻机，
06:39
a large, powerful laser
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一个大型，强大的激光器，
06:43
with a money-back guarantee
from the company
from the company
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并得到了卖方假如无法在船上工作，
06:46
that if it didn't work on a ship,
they would take it back.
they would take it back.
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可以退货退款的保证。
06:48
And so a young scientist
that I was working with at the time,
that I was working with at the time,
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于是一个我一直在合作的年轻科学家，
06:52
Rob Olson, was able
to take this thing apart,
to take this thing apart,
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罗伯 · 奥尔森，把这东西拆开，
06:54
put it on a ship, put it back together
and take it off to sea.
and take it off to sea.
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运到船上，再重新
组装好，带到海里去。
组装好，带到海里去。
06:58
And it worked like a charm.
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它的效果出人意料的好。
我们没想到效果这么好，
因为我们以为船的晃动
因为我们以为船的晃动
06:59
We didn't think it would,
because we thought the ship's vibrations
because we thought the ship's vibrations
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会阻碍激光的聚焦，
07:03
would get in the way
of the focusing of the laser,
of the focusing of the laser,
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但它的效果真的十分惊艳。
07:05
but it really worked like a charm.
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于是，我们绘制了整个海洋的
浮游植物分布图。
浮游植物分布图。
07:07
And so we mapped the phytoplankton
distributions across the ocean.
distributions across the ocean.
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07:10
For the first time, you could look at them
one cell at a time in real time
one cell at a time in real time
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这是首次可以实时地
看一个细胞单元，
看一个细胞单元，
07:14
and see what was going on --
that was very exciting.
that was very exciting.
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看看发生了什么——
这实在非常令人兴奋。
这实在非常令人兴奋。
07:17
But one day, Rob noticed
some faint signals
some faint signals
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有一天，罗伯注意到机器中
07:20
coming out of the instrument
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有一些微弱的信号，
07:21
that we dismissed as electronic noise
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这些信号一年来一直被我们当做
07:25
for probably a year
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电子噪音，
07:27
before we realized that it wasn't
really behaving like noise.
really behaving like noise.
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直至我们意识到，
它们并不是噪音。
它们并不是噪音。
07:31
It had some regular patterns to it.
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它的信号表现出了一些固定的模式。
07:34
To make a long story short,
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长话短说，
07:36
it was tiny, tiny little cells,
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它是非常非常微小的细胞，
07:39
less than one-one hundredth
the width of a human hair
the width of a human hair
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不到人类头发宽度的百分之一，
07:42
that contain chlorophyl.
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它含有叶绿素。
07:44
That was Prochlorococcus.
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这就是原绿球藻。
07:47
So remember this slide that I showed you?
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还记得刚才展示过的
这张幻灯片吗？
这张幻灯片吗？
07:50
If you shine blue light
on that same sample,
on that same sample,
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如果你用蓝光照射这些样本，
07:53
this is what you see:
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就会看到这样一幕：
07:55
two tiny little red light-emitting cells.
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两个微小的红色发光细胞。
07:59
Those are Prochlorococcus.
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这些都是原绿球藻。
08:02
They are the smallest and most abundant
photosynthetic cell on the planet.
photosynthetic cell on the planet.
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它们是地球上最小，
但数量最多的光合细胞。
但数量最多的光合细胞。
08:09
At first, we didn't know what they were,
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一开始，我们不知道它们是什么，
08:11
so we called the "little greens."
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所以叫它们“小绿”，
08:12
It was a very affectionate name for them.
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这是一个非常亲切的称呼。
08:14
Ultimately, we knew enough about them
to give them the name Prochlorococcus,
to give them the name Prochlorococcus,
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最后，我们对它们有了深入的了解，
就把它取名叫原绿球藻，
就把它取名叫原绿球藻，
意思是“原始的绿色浆果”。
08:18
which means "primitive green berry."
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08:20
And it was about that time
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大概是在那个时候
08:23
that I became so smitten
by these little cells
by these little cells
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我就被这些小细胞迷住了，
08:26
that I redirected my entire lab
to study them and nothing else,
to study them and nothing else,
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我把我整个实验室的
研究方向都转到了它们身上，
研究方向都转到了它们身上，
08:31
and my loyalty to them
has really paid off.
has really paid off.
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而我对它们的忠诚
也得到了丰厚的回报。
也得到了丰厚的回报。
08:34
They've given me a tremendous amount,
including bringing me here.
including bringing me here.
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它们带给了我很多，
也让我今天能够站在这里。
也让我今天能够站在这里。
08:39
(Applause)
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（鼓掌）
08:45
So over the years,
we and others, many others,
we and others, many others,
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过去那些年，我和很多其他人，
08:48
have studied Prochlorococcus
across the oceans
across the oceans
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穿越了各个海域研究原绿球藻，
08:52
and found that they're very abundant
over wide, wide ranges
over wide, wide ranges
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发现它们在开放的海洋生态中的
08:56
in the open ocean ecosystem.
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数量十分庞大，且分布广阔。
08:59
They're particularly abundant
in what are called the open ocean gyres.
in what are called the open ocean gyres.
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它们在公海环流中尤其丰富。
09:03
These are sometimes referred to
as the deserts of the oceans,
as the deserts of the oceans,
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这些区域有时被称为海洋的沙漠，
09:07
but they're not deserts at all.
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但它们其实根本不是沙漠。
09:09
Their deep blue water is teeming
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深蓝色的海水
09:12
with a hundred million
Prochlorococcus cells per liter.
Prochlorococcus cells per liter.
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每升富含1亿个原绿球藻。
09:16
If you crowd them together
like we do in our cultures,
like we do in our cultures,
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如果把它们按
处理培养群那样聚在一起，
处理培养群那样聚在一起，
09:19
you can see their beautiful
green chlorophyl.
green chlorophyl.
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就可以看到它们美丽的绿色叶绿素。
09:22
One of those test tubes
has a billion Prochlorococcus in it,
has a billion Prochlorococcus in it,
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其中一个试管中有
10亿个原绿球菌，
10亿个原绿球菌，
09:27
and as I told you earlier,
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正如我刚才提到的，
09:28
there are three billion billion billion
of them on the planet.
of them on the planet.
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地球上有3乘10的27次方的原绿球藻，
09:31
That's three octillion,
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相当于3倍的10亿的3次方，
09:34
if you care to convert.
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如果你想转换的话。
09:36
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
09:38
And collectively, they weigh
more than the human population
more than the human population
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它们的重量加起来
超过了人类总人口的重量，
超过了人类总人口的重量，
09:42
and they photosynthesize
as much as all of the crops on land.
as much as all of the crops on land.
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光合作用程度
跟地球上所有作物一样多。
跟地球上所有作物一样多。
09:47
They're incredibly important
in the global ocean.
in the global ocean.
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对全球海洋来说非常重要。
09:51
So over the years,
as we were studying them
as we were studying them
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这些年来，随着研究的不断推进，
09:53
and found how abundant they were,
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我们发现它们的含量如此丰富，
09:55
we thought, hmm, this is really strange.
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不禁感到很奇怪。
一个物种如何能在如此多的
不同栖息地都如此丰富？
不同栖息地都如此丰富？
09:57
How can a single species be so abundant
across so many different habitats?
across so many different habitats?
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10:02
And as we isolated more into culture,
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当我们把更多的原绿球藻
隔离在培养液中，
隔离在培养液中，
10:04
we learned that they
are different ecotypes.
are different ecotypes.
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我们了解到它们是
不同的生态类型。
不同的生态类型。
10:06
There are some that are adapted
to the high-light intensities
to the high-light intensities
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有一些适应高光强度的
10:09
in the surface water,
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表层水，
10:11
and there are some that are adapted
to the low light in the deep ocean.
to the low light in the deep ocean.
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另一些则适应深海的低光环境。
10:14
In fact, those cells that live
in the bottom of the sunlit zone
in the bottom of the sunlit zone
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事实上，那些生活在
阳光照射区底部的细胞
阳光照射区底部的细胞
10:18
are the most efficient
photosynthesizers of any known cell.
photosynthesizers of any known cell.
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是所有已知细胞中
最有效的光合成器。
最有效的光合成器。
10:23
And then we learned
that there are some strains
that there are some strains
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然后我们了解到有一些菌株
10:25
that grow optimally along the equator,
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在赤道上生长得最好，
10:28
where there are higher temperatures,
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那里温度更高，
有一些则在更低温度中表现更好，
10:30
and some that do better
at the cooler temperatures
at the cooler temperatures
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10:33
as you go north and south.
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沿着经线考察就会发现。
10:34
So as we studied these more and more
and kept finding more and more diversity,
and kept finding more and more diversity,
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所以当我们更深入地研究这些问题时，
就会不断发现更多的多样性，
就会不断发现更多的多样性，
10:38
we thought, oh my God,
how diverse are these things?
how diverse are these things?
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我们不禁感叹，老天，
这些东西到底有多少种？
这些东西到底有多少种？
10:41
And about that time, it became
possible to sequence their genomes
possible to sequence their genomes
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大约在那个时候，技术已经发展到
可以对它们的基因组进行测序了，
可以对它们的基因组进行测序了，
10:44
and really look under the hood
and look at their genetic makeup.
and look at their genetic makeup.
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可以仔细看看它们的基因组成。
10:49
And we've been able to sequence
the genomes of cultures that we have,
the genomes of cultures that we have,
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我们已经能够对所拥有的
培养物的基因组进行测序，
培养物的基因组进行测序，
10:53
but also recently, using flow cytometry,
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但也在最近，使用流式细胞术，
10:56
we can isolate
individual cells from the wild
individual cells from the wild
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我们可以将单个细胞
从野生环境中分离出来，
从野生环境中分离出来，
10:59
and sequence their individual genomes,
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并对它们的个体基因组进行测序，
11:01
and now we've sequenced
hundreds of Prochlorococcus.
hundreds of Prochlorococcus.
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现在我们已经对数百种
原球菌进行了测序。
原球菌进行了测序。
11:04
And although each cell
has roughly 2,000 genes --
has roughly 2,000 genes --
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尽管每个细胞大约只有
2000个基因——
2000个基因——
11:08
that's one tenth the size
of the human genome --
of the human genome --
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是人类基因组的1/10——
11:12
as you sequence more and more,
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但随着测序越来越多，
11:13
you find that they only have
a thousand of those in common
a thousand of those in common
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你会发现它们之间
有上千种基因是相似的，
有上千种基因是相似的，
11:18
and the other thousand
for each individual strain
for each individual strain
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而每个个体的另外一千个基因
11:21
is drawn from an enormous gene pool,
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都是从一个巨大的
基因库中提取出来的，
基因库中提取出来的，
11:24
and it reflects the particular environment
that the cell might have thrived in,
that the cell might have thrived in,
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它反映了细胞可能
在其中生长的特殊环境，
在其中生长的特殊环境，
11:30
not just high or low light
or high or low temperature,
or high or low temperature,
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不只是在光照强度和温度上有差别，
11:33
but whether there are
nutrients that limit them
nutrients that limit them
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还包括是否有营养物质限制了它们，
11:36
like nitrogen, phosphorus or iron.
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比如氮、磷或铁。
11:39
It reflects the habitat
that they come from.
that they come from.
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同时也反映了它们的栖息地。
11:42
Think of it this way.
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可以这样想。
11:45
If each cell is a smartphone
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如果每个细胞是部智能手机，
11:48
and the apps are the genes,
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应用是基因，
11:51
when you get your smartphone,
it comes with these built-in apps.
it comes with these built-in apps.
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当你拿到智能手机时，
它已经预装了一些应用。
它已经预装了一些应用。
11:54
Those are the ones that you can't delete
if you're an iPhone person.
if you're an iPhone person.
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这些预装应用你是无法删除的，
如果你用的是iPhone。
如果你用的是iPhone。
你按下它们，它们不会抖动，
不会出现删除标记。
不会出现删除标记。
11:57
You press on them and they don't jiggle
and they don't have x's.
and they don't have x's.
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即便你不喜欢它们，
也别想清除掉它们。
也别想清除掉它们。
12:00
Even if you don't want them,
you can't get rid of them.
you can't get rid of them.
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（笑声）
12:03
(Laughter)
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12:06
Those are like the core genes
of Prochlorococcus.
of Prochlorococcus.
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这些是原绿球藻的核心基因。
12:09
They're the essence of the phone.
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它们就像手机的核心。
12:11
But you have a huge pool
of apps to draw upon
of apps to draw upon
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但你也有一个巨大的应用库，
12:16
to make your phone custom-designed
for your particular lifestyle and habitat.
for your particular lifestyle and habitat.
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可以根据你的生活方式和习惯
来对你的手机进行个性化设置。
来对你的手机进行个性化设置。
12:22
If you travel a lot,
you'll have a lot of travel apps,
you'll have a lot of travel apps,
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如果你到处旅行，
就会有很多旅行应用，
就会有很多旅行应用，
12:25
if you're into financial things,
you might have a lot of financial apps,
you might have a lot of financial apps,
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如果你是搞金融的，
可能就有很多财经应用，
可能就有很多财经应用，
12:30
or if you're like me,
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或者如果你像我一样，
12:32
you probably have a lot of weather apps,
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你可能会有一大堆天气应用，
希望里面起码有一个
预测能让你心花怒放。
预测能让你心花怒放。
12:34
hoping one of them will tell you
what you want to hear.
what you want to hear.
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12:36
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
12:38
And I've learned the last
couple days in Vancouver
couple days in Vancouver
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我在温哥华最后几天学到的是
12:40
that you don't need a weather app --
you just need an umbrella.
you just need an umbrella.
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你未必需要天气应用，
你只需要一把伞。
你只需要一把伞。
12:43
So --
237
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所以——
12:44
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
12:47
(Applause)
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（鼓掌）
12:49
So just as your smartphone tells us
something about how you live your life,
something about how you live your life,
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所以正如你的智能手机
能够告诉我们一些你的生活，
能够告诉我们一些你的生活，
12:55
your lifestyle,
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你的生活方式那样，
12:57
reading the genome
of a Prochlorococcus cell
of a Prochlorococcus cell
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阅读原绿球藻细胞的基因
12:59
tells us what the pressures are
in its environment.
in its environment.
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能够告诉我们原绿球藻
所生活的环境，比如压力强度。
所生活的环境，比如压力强度。
13:04
It's like reading its diary,
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就如同阅读它的日记，
13:06
not only telling us how it got
through its day or its week,
through its day or its week,
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不仅告诉我们它的一天，
或一周如何度过，
或一周如何度过，
13:10
but even its evolutionary history.
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甚至还包括它们的演化历史。
13:14
As we studied -- I said we've
sequenced hundreds of these cells,
sequenced hundreds of these cells,
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随着进一步的研究，
我们已经测序了几百种这些细胞，
我们已经测序了几百种这些细胞，
13:17
and we can now project
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我们现在已经可以预估
13:19
what is the total genetic size --
249
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整个基因集合的大小——
13:23
gene pool --
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基因库——
13:24
of the Prochlorococcus
federation, as we call it.
federation, as we call it.
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原绿球藻的基因联邦，
我们是这样称呼它的。
我们是这样称呼它的。
13:28
It's like a superorganism.
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这就像一个超级有机体。
13:29
And it turns out that projections are
253
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预测的结果是
13:32
that the collective has 80,000 genes.
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整个集合共有8万个基因。
13:35
That's four times the size
of the human genome.
of the human genome.
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相当于人类基因组的4倍。
13:38
And it's that diversity of gene pools
256
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正是这多样化的基因库
13:43
that makes it possible for them
257
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让它们可以
13:45
to dominate these large
regions of the oceans
regions of the oceans
258
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统治这广阔的海域，
13:47
and maintain their stability
259
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一年接一年地维持
13:49
year in and year out.
260
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1920
它们的稳定性。
13:52
So when I daydream about Prochlorococcus,
261
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当我畅想着原绿球藻的的时候，
我做这个可不仅是为了健康——
13:55
which I probably do more
than is healthy --
than is healthy --
262
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13:58
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
14:00
I imagine them floating out there,
264
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3376
我想象它们漂来漂去，
14:03
doing their job,
265
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做着本职工作，
14:04
maintaining the planet,
266
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维持地球的运转，
14:06
feeding the animals.
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喂饱动物，
14:09
But also I inevitably end up
268
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但同时也不可避免想到
14:11
thinking about what
a masterpiece they are,
a masterpiece they are,
269
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它们真是大自然的鬼斧神工，
14:15
finely tuned by millions
of years of evolution.
of years of evolution.
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历经了数百万年精细的进化。
14:19
With 2,000 genes,
271
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2000
只有2000个基因，
14:21
they can do what
all of our human ingenuity
all of our human ingenuity
272
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它们就做到了我们人类
14:24
has not figured out how to do yet.
273
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还没有搞明白怎么做的事情。
14:26
They can take solar energy, CO2
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它们可以把太阳能，CO2
14:29
and turn it into chemical energy
in the form of organic carbon,
in the form of organic carbon,
275
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3496
以有机碳的方式变成化学能，
14:33
locking that sunlight
in those carbon bonds.
in those carbon bonds.
276
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把阳光锁在那些碳键中。
14:37
If we could figure out
exactly how they do this,
exactly how they do this,
277
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如果我们能够弄明白
它们是如何做到的，
它们是如何做到的，
14:41
it could inspire designs
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就可以激发我们设计一些方法来
14:44
that could reduce
our dependency on fossil fuels,
our dependency on fossil fuels,
279
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减少对化学燃料的依赖，
14:47
which brings my story full circle.
280
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2800
这也就让我的故事圆满了。
14:51
The fossil fuels that are buried
that we're burning
that we're burning
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我们用来燃烧的
埋葬在地下的化石燃料
埋葬在地下的化石燃料
14:54
took millions of years
for the earth to bury those,
for the earth to bury those,
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需要地球花费长达
数百万年的时间去积累，
数百万年的时间去积累，
14:58
including those ancestors
of Prochlorococcus,
of Prochlorococcus,
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包括这些原绿球藻的远古祖先，
15:01
and we're burning that now
in the blink of an eye
in the blink of an eye
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而我们眨眼之间就把它们燃烧了，
15:04
on geological timescales.
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从地质时间的尺度来看就是一瞬间。
15:06
Carbon dioxide is increasing
in the atmosphere.
in the atmosphere.
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二氧化碳在大气中积累。
15:09
It's a greenhouse gas.
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这是一种温室气体。
15:11
The oceans are starting to warm.
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海洋开始变得温暖。
15:13
So the question is,
what is that going to do
what is that going to do
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所以问题是，我的原绿球藻
15:16
for my Prochlorococcus?
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接下来会怎样？
15:18
And I'm sure you're expecting me to say
that my beloved microbes are doomed,
that my beloved microbes are doomed,
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我确定你们会觉得我想说，
我心爱的微生物要遭受灭顶之灾了，
我心爱的微生物要遭受灭顶之灾了，
15:23
but in fact they're not.
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但事实并非如此。
15:25
Projections are that their populations
will expand as the ocean warms
will expand as the ocean warms
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我们的预测是，随着海水
温度上升，它们的数量会在
温度上升，它们的数量会在
15:31
to 30 percent larger by the year 2100.
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2100年增加30%。
15:36
Does that make me happy?
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这让我们开心了吗？
15:38
Well, it makes me happy
for Prochlorococcus of course --
for Prochlorococcus of course --
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当然，这让我为原绿球藻感到高兴——
15:41
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
15:43
but not for the planet.
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但对地球可就不是这么回事儿了。
15:46
There are winners and losers
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在这场我们正在进行的
15:47
in this global experiment
that we've undertaken,
that we've undertaken,
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全球实验中，难免会有输家和赢家。
15:51
and it's projected that among the losers
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而根据预计，输家是那些
15:54
will be some of those
larger phytoplankton,
larger phytoplankton,
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更大一些的浮游植物，
15:56
those charismatic ones
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那些有魅力的
15:57
which are expected
to be reduced in numbers,
to be reduced in numbers,
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预期数量会大为减少，
16:00
and they're the ones that feed
the zooplankton that feed the fish
the zooplankton that feed the fish
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它们是为人类喜欢捕捞的鱼类
16:03
that we like to harvest.
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提供食物的浮游植物。
16:08
So Prochlorococcus has been
my muse for the past 35 years,
my muse for the past 35 years,
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在过去35年中，
原绿球藻就是我的命运女神，
原绿球藻就是我的命运女神，
16:13
but there are legions
of other microbes out there
of other microbes out there
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但还有很多其他的微生物
16:15
maintaining our planet for us.
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在帮我们维持地球的环境平衡。
16:18
They're out there
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它们就在那儿，
16:20
ready and waiting for us to find them
so they can tell their stories, too.
so they can tell their stories, too.
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准备就绪，等待着我们去寻找它们，
并传颂它们的故事。
并传颂它们的故事。
16:24
Thank you.
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谢谢。
16:25
(Applause)
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（鼓掌）
Translated by jacks peng
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Penny Chisholm - Microbial oceanographer, authorPenny Chisholm studies an extremely tiny microorganism that plays an enormous role in ocean ecosystems. Discovered only three decades ago, it has defined her career and inspired her to think differently about life on Earth.
Why you should listen
Penny Chisholm (whose scientific works are published under the name Sallie Chisholm) has been studying microscopic plants called phytoplankton since she was an undergraduate. After she joined the MIT faculty, in the 1980s she was lucky enough to be involved in the discovery of the smallest and most abundant phytoplankter on the planet: Prochlorococcus. Less that 1/100th the width of a human hair, this tiny photosynthetic microbe thrives in the sunlit surface waters across large swaths of the global ocean, where it uses the sun's energy to release oxygen, consume carbon dioxide and grow. There are an estimated three billion billion billion of these tiny cells in the global ocean where they provide sustenance for other microorganisms and fuel ocean food webs. "Prochlorococcus has been my muse for more than 30 years," Chisholm says. "It has taught me an enormous amount about the role of photosynthesis in shaping our planet, and about the power of diversity. Most important, it has taught me to be humbled by the mind-blowing complexity of the natural world."
Chisholm is one of ten Institute Professors at MIT and has received many honors for her research on Prochlorococcus, including the 2011 National Medal of Science awarded by President Obama at the White House. She has also co-authored a series of children's books about the role of photosynthesis in shaping our world.
Penny Chisholm | Speaker | TED.com