密歇根新闻广播 紫外光可能是白鼻综合症蝙蝠的一线希望

Scientists might have found a new way to combat white-nose syndrome¹, a disease caused by a fungus² killing³ millions of bats in the U.S. and Canada.

Jon Palmer is a research botanist⁴ with the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station. His team discovered that the fungus is highly sensitive to ultraviolet light. Palmer says they used a process called comparative genomics.

"We compare the genes⁵ and the DNA⁶ sequence from the pathogen to these fungi⁷ that are non-pathogenic and we look for differences," he says. "So one of the differences that we found was that the pathogen was missing this key enzyme⁸ involved in DNA repair. And without this enzyme, the fungus is unable to repair DNA damage caused by ultraviolet light."

Palmer's team found that just a couple of seconds of exposure to UV light killed the fungus, a discovery he calls "very exciting." He sees this discovery as another potential tool to help treat bats with white-nose syndrome. But he says they're still figuring out how that might work.

"We initially⁹ thought that perhaps researchers or scientists could go into high-value target sites where perhaps some bats that are endangered are hibernating¹⁰ and you could perhaps treat individual bats with something like a hand-held light source," Palmer says.

He says it's also possible they could install light sources on cave entrances, to treat bats as they fly in to hibernate¹¹.

"Right now, we're at the stage of now we've identified this weakness in the fungus, and now we're interested in determining whether or not it can actually be a viable¹² treatment option. We're doing those studies still in the lab," Palmer says.

The fungus has reached 33 states and five Canadian provinces in the past 12 years. Palmer says the fungus is likely to continue to spread, but he says there have been reports of survivor¹³ populations in the northeast, where the disease has been present for the longest time.

"So there is some positive note that perhaps some of these bats will develop resistance, or perhaps some of them natively have genetic¹⁴ resistance, but I think as a community we need to continue to try to do this basic science, learn more about the fungus, learn more about the disease, and maybe we can find other properties or other characteristics that could be exploited for potential treatment options for further down the road," he says.

You can listen to the interview with Jon Palmer above.

1 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

2 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 botanist   

n.植物学家

参考例句：

• The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
• I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。

5 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

6 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。

7 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

8 enzyme   

n.酵素，酶

参考例句：

• Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
• An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 hibernating   

（某些动物）冬眠，蛰伏( hibernate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The hibernating animals reduce movement to far below the ordinary level. 冬眠的动物把活动量大大减少到低于一般的水平。
• People find hibernating animals asleep. 人们发现冬眠动物处于休眠状态。

11 hibernate   

v.冬眠，蛰伏

参考例句：

• Bears often hibernate in caves.熊常在山洞里冬眠。
• Some warm-blooded animals do not need to hibernate.一些温血动物不需要冬眠。

12 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

13 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

14 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。