Designer Antibiotics

85 新功效的抗生素在加州诞生

DATE=8-15-01
TITLE=SCIENCE REPORT - Designer Antibiotics²
BYLINE=Jerilyn Watson

（Start at 1'04"） This is Bill White with the VOA Special English SCIENCE REPORT.
Researchers in La Jolla, California, have taken steps toward developing effective new (1)antibiotic¹ drugs.  M. Reza Ghadiri and other researchers from the Scripps Research Institute have developed structures called "nanotubes."  Nanotubes are (2)molecules⁴ of (3)amino (4)acid that can build themselves into (5)tubes that are smaller than a cell.
Mister Ghadiri's team recently reported its findings in the publication, NATURE.  The researchers said the nanotubes killed a number of bacteria in animals and in laboratory tests.  They also reported that the structures helped (6)mice recover from normally deadly bacterial⁵ attacks.  These same bacteria resisted a traditional antibiotic drug used to kill harmful bacteria.
The team said the central structure of the nanotubes contains rings called (7)cyclic (8)peptides.  These circular structures are made of either six or eight amino acids.  The researchers chose the amino acids because their molecules form themselves into tubes only in the correct chemical environment. 
During their experiments the researchers placed the rings inside the covering of bacteria.  The rings lined up to form tubes that are empty in the middle.  The tubes killed the bacteria by making holes in them.  The bacteria died when the material inside them (9)leaked out. 
In test-tube experiments the team found nanotubes formed in bacteria but did not form in red blood cells.  The amino acid nanotubes also protected animals sick with (10)Staphylococcus Aureus.  This disease affects more than two million hospital patients in the United States every year. 
Current antibiotic drugs often attack one special molecule³ within bacteria.  Bacteria can develop (11)resistance to such drugs over time.  They do this by changing the shape of the targeted molecule.  Or, they may keep the drugs away from their molecular⁶ target.
Mister Ghadiri says he hopes nanotubes have a long life.  This would force bacteria to make more changes to resist treatment.  He says changing amino acids in the peptide rings could create many different (12)versions of the nanotubes. 
Mister Ghadiri's team has given mice the drugs by forcing them through the skin.  But he believes these new kinds of antibiotics can some day be produced to take by mouth, in pill form. 
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

(1)  antibiotic [Antibai'Rtik] n. 抗生素; adj. 抗生的
(2)  molecule [mRliju:l] n. [化]分子, 些微
(3) amino [Amin[J] adj. [化]氨基的
(4) acid [Asid] n. [化]酸, <俚>迷幻药; adj. 酸的, 讽刺的, 刻薄的
(5) tube [tju:b] n. 管, 管子, [英] 地铁, <美> 电子管, 显象管
(6) mice [mais] n. pl. 老鼠
(7) cyclic [saiklik] 轮转的, 循环的
(8) peptide [peptaid] n. 缩氨酸
(9) leak [li:k] vi. 漏, 泄漏; vt. 使渗漏; n. 漏洞, 漏出, 漏出物, 泄漏
(10)  staphylococcus [stAfil['kRk[s] n. [微生物] 葡萄状球菌
(11)  resistance [ri'zist[ns] n. 反抗, 抵抗, 抵抗力, 阻力, 电阻, 阻抗
(12) version [v:F([)n] n. 译文, 译本, 翻译

 

 

1 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

2 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

3 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。

4 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。

5 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

6 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。