I'm thrilled to be here.

謝謝

I'm going to talk about a new, old material

我非常高興來到這兒

that still continues to amaze us,

我想談談一個新的老材料

and that might impact the way we think

而且, 我們持續在此材料的研究中感到驚奇

about material science, high technology --

這可能會徹底改變我們對於

and maybe, along the way,

材料科學與高科技的想法

also do some stuff for medicine and for global health and help reforestation.

也或許 繼續下去

So that's kind of a bold statement.

能為醫藥與全球健康盡心力 也能幫助再造林

I'll tell you a little bit more.

這是我們的大膽宣言

This material actually has some traits that make it seem almost too good to be true.

我會再多作說明的

It's sustainable; it's a sustainable material

這材料的確會有著好到讓人難以想像的特徵

that is processed all in water and at room temperature --

它絕對是對環境永續的

and is biodegradable with a clock,

製程只在水中與室溫下進行

so you can watch it dissolve instantaneously in a glass of water

隨時間控制 它是生物可分解的

or have it stable for years.

所以你能看著它很快的溶解於水中

It's edible; it's implantable in the human body

或是能穩定存在好幾年

without causing any immune response.

是可食用 是可被植入人體

It actually gets reintegrated in the body.

且不會造成排斥反應

And it's technological,

它能在體內再組合

so it can do things like microelectronics,

它也是科技產品

and maybe photonics do.

所以它能製作成微電子元件

And the material

或是光電元件

looks something like this.

這材料

In fact, this material you see is clear and transparent.

長的像這樣

The components of this material are just water and protein.

實際上 這材料是透明的

So this material is silk.

成分就只是水和蛋白質

So it's kind of different

這材料是 絲

from what we're used to thinking about silk.

有點不同於

So the question is, how do you reinvent something

我們穿著的 絲

that has been around for five millennia?

所以問題是 怎麼能再創造發明這

The process of discovery, generally, is inspired by nature.

已存在5000年的東西?

And so we marvel at silk worms --

發現的過程 也是來自自然界的啟發

the silk worm you see here spinning its fiber.

我們讚嘆蠶寶寶

The silk worm does a remarkable thing:

這隻蠶正在吐出纖維

it uses these two ingredients, protein and water,

蠶寶寶作的神奇事是:

that are in its gland,

它用的成分就只是它腺體中的

to make a material that is exceptionally tough for protection --

蛋白質跟水

so comparable to technical fibers

製造出具有保護作用的特別堅硬物質

like Kevlar.

相當於科技纖維

And so in the reverse engineering process

像是Kevlar (防彈纖維)

that we know about,

利用紡織界常用

and that we're familiar with,

也是我們都知道與

for the textile industry,

熟悉的

the textile industry goes and unwinds the cocoon

逆向工程研究:

and then weaves glamorous things.

紡織界解開蠶繭

We want to know how you go from water and protein

再利用絲編出迷人織物

to this liquid Kevlar, to this natural Kevlar.

我們想知道的是 怎麼從水和蛋白質

So the insight

產生液狀防彈纖維 就是這天然的防彈纖維

is how do you actually reverse engineer this

重要的是

and go from cocoon to gland

你要如何執行逆向工程

and get water and protein that is your starting material.

從蠶繭到腺體分泌

And this is an insight

才到水和蛋白質 也就是我們確定的初始物質

that came, about two decades ago,

這核心發現

from a person that I'm very fortunate to work with,

來自於20年前

David Kaplan.

我有幸能共事過的一位同事

And so we get this starting material.

David Kaplan

And so this starting material is back to the basic building block.

我們有著初始物質

And then we use this to do a variety of things --

水和蛋白質 就是基本的構造

like, for example, this film.

我們用這試著作出不同的東西

And we take advantage of something that is very simple.

比如 像這個 薄膜

The recipe to make those films

我門實際上利用蛋白質的優勢

is to take advantage of the fact

這薄膜的製作方式

that proteins are extremely smart at what they do.

就是利用

They find their way to self-assemble.

蛋白質是非常聰明的

So the recipe is simple: you take the silk solution, you pour it,

他們能自己找到位置作組合堆疊

and you wait for the protein to self-assemble.

製作方法很簡單: 拿絲的溶液 倒出

And then you detach the protein and you get this film,

等著蛋白質作自行結合堆疊

as the proteins find each other as the water evaporates.

撕下蛋白質就是這張薄膜

But I mentioned that the film is also technological.

隨著溶液蒸發, 蛋白質會與其他蛋白質相觸

And so what does that mean?

我剛剛強調這薄膜是具有科技性的

It means that you can interface it

怎麼說呢?

with some of the things that are typical of technology,

它可以成為

like microelectronics and nanoscale technology.

典型的科技事物

And the image of the DVD here

像是微電子元件 與 奈米級科技的介面

is just to illustrate a point

這照片上的DVD光碟片

that silk follows very subtle topographies of the surface,

只是要表示一個重點

which means that it can replicate features on the nanoscale.

絲能夠將就各式表面的微妙形狀

So it would be able to replicate the information

換句話說他們能複製奈米級的特性

that is on the DVD.

也就能夠複製

And we can store information that's film with water and protein.

DVD上的資訊

So we tried something out, and we wrote a message in a piece of silk,

我們能儲存資訊在水和蛋白質作成的薄膜

which is right here, and the message is over there.

這是我們的嘗試 留下些訊息在這塊絲上面

And much like in the DVD, you can read it out optically.

就是這塊絲 訊息在這邊

And this requires a stable hand,

像DVD般 可以用光學方式讀取

so this is why I decided to do it onstage in front of a thousand people.

這需要一雙穩定的手操作

So let me see.

也是我為什麼選擇要自己在台上呈現給數百人看

So as you see the film go in transparently through there,

來吧!

and then ...

薄膜大部分是透明的

(Applause)

再來...

And the most remarkable feat

(掌聲)

is that my hand actually stayed still long enough to do that.

最驚人的是

So once you have these attributes

我的手真的能維持一定的穩定

of this material,

當你認識了關於這物質的

then you can do a lot of things.

這些屬性

It's actually not limited to films.

你可以利用絲 作出許多東西

And so the material can assume a lot of formats.

不只是透明薄膜

And then you go a little crazy, and so you do various optical components

這物質可以長成許多型式

or you do microprism arrays,

然後可以瘋狂一點, 作出不同的光學零件

like the reflective tape that you have on your running shoes.

或是作出 微菱鏡陣列

Or you can do beautiful things

像是在運動鞋上的反光條

that, if the camera can capture, you can make.

或作出美麗的東西

You can add a third dimensionality to the film.

希望攝影機能看到這

And if the angle is right,

你可以在薄膜上有三度空間的訊息

you can actually see a hologram appear in this film of silk.

當角度對時

But you can do other things.

你可以看到一個全像顯示在這絲的薄膜上

You can imagine that then maybe you can use a pure protein to guide light,

也能做出其他東西

and so we've made optical fibers.

可以想像利用一個純蛋白質作光的傳導

But silk is versatile and it goes beyond optics.

所以我們做出光纖

And you can think of different formats.

絲是多樣的 能不只是光學用途

So for instance, if you're afraid of going to the doctor and getting stuck with a needle,

也能想出些不同的型式

we do microneedle arrays.

舉例說 怕上醫院打針

What you see there on the screen is a human hair

我們可以做出微針陣列

superimposed on the needle that's made of silk --

螢幕上顯示著一根人類頭髮

just to give you a sense of size.

對比的是 用絲作成的針頭

You can do bigger things.

給大家一個實際大小的感覺

You can do gears and nuts and bolts --

也能做大一點的東西

that you can buy at Whole Foods.

可以做齒輪 螺絲 螺母

And the gears work in water as well.

以後可以在食品店買到

So you think of alternative mechanical parts.

齒輪也能於水中運作

And maybe you can use that liquid Kevlar if you need something strong

可以想成是另類的機構組件

to replace peripheral veins, for example,

可以用液態Kevlar 做出較硬的材料

or maybe an entire bone.

以, 譬如, 取代周邊靜脈

And so you have here a little example

或取代整跟骨頭

of a small skull --

這裡有一些例子

what we call mini Yorick.

小骷顱頭

(Laughter)

我們稱它是迷你 Yorick (哈姆雷特中之人物)

But you can do things like cups, for example,

(笑聲)

and so, if you add a little bit of gold, if you add a little bit of semiconductors

舉例 也能做成杯子

you could do sensors that stick on the surfaces of foods.

或是加點金 加點半導體元件

You can do electronic pieces

能做出貼在食物上的感應器

that fold and wrap.

可以做出能被撓曲的

Or if you're fashion forward, some silk LED tattoos.

電子元件

So there's versatility, as you see,

或是你走在流行尖端, 可以是LED刺青

in the material formats,

就如大家所見的 你可以用絲

that you can do with silk.

在材料形式

But there are still some unique traits.

作出不同的多樣性

I mean, why would you want to do all these things for real?

但絲還是有些獨特的性質

I mentioned it briefly at the beginning;

我的意思是 為什麼要做出這些東西呢?

the protein is biodegradable and biocompatible.

一開始我有簡單地說明過

And you see here a picture of a tissue section.

蛋白質是可分解的以及不被排斥的

And so what does that mean, that it's biodegradable and biocompatible?

這裡是個人工器官的照片

You can implant it in the body without needing to retrieve what is implanted.

絲具有生物可分解性或生物相容性 到底是什麼意思呢?

Which means that all the devices that you've seen before and all the formats,

你可以將它植入體內又不必取出植入物

in principle, can be implanted and disappear.

也就是說 之前看到的各形式

And what you see there in that tissue section,

基本上都能被植入與取出

in fact, is you see that reflector tape.

那些器官部分

So, much like you're seen at night by a car,

可以利用反光貼布的特性

then the idea is that you can see, if you illuminate tissue,

像是被車燈照到反光

you can see deeper parts of tissue

所以當光線照射到器官

because there is that reflective tape there that is made out of silk.

就能因反光看到器官的更深部位

And you see there, it gets reintegrated in tissue.

因為反光貼布是用絲所做的

And reintegration in the human body

就可以整合到器官上

is not the only thing,

不只能應用到

but reintegration in the environment is important.

器官植入人體

So you have a clock, you have protein,

也能與環境保護結合

and now a silk cup like this

因蛋白質的成分 所以有著內部分解時鐘

can be thrown away without guilt --

一個絲作成的杯子

(Applause)

就能安心的丟棄

unlike the polystyrene cups

(掌聲)

that unfortunately fill our landfills everyday.

不像保利龍杯

It's edible,

每天成為垃圾堆積

so you can do smart packaging around food

它是可食的

that you can cook with the food.

所以可設計成聰明的食物包裝

It doesn't taste good,

也能與食物一起烹煮

so I'm going to need some help with that.

只是吃起來口感不佳

But probably the most remarkable thing is that it comes full circle.

我需要些這方面的協助

Silk, during its self-assembly process,

但最最神奇的事是它是天然循環的

acts like a cocoon for biological matter.

絲 在自行組合時

And so if you change the recipe,

生物行為上像是蠶繭

and you add things when you pour --

所以如果改變配方時

so you add things to your liquid silk solution --

加點東西進去

where these things are enzymes

在液狀絲溶液加點東西進去

or antibodies or vaccines,

通常就是酶

the self-assembly process

抗生素 或是 疫苗

preserves the biological function of these dopants.

自行組合時

So it makes the materials environmentally active

會保持這些摻雜物的生物功能

and interactive.

所以可以做成環境活性的材料

So that screw that you thought about beforehand

或是會對環境反應的材料

can actually be used

所以剛剛看到的螺絲螺母

to screw a bone together -- a fractured bone together --

可以真的用來

and deliver drugs at the same,

將骨折的骨頭鎖在一起

while your bone is healing, for example.

又能在骨頭痊癒期間

Or you could put drugs in your wallet and not in your fridge.

比如, 同時釋放藥劑

So we've made a silk card

會是變成能攜帶於皮夾中, 而非存於冰箱中的藥品

with penicillin in it.

像這個絲作成的卡片

And we stored penicillin at 60 degrees C,

有著盤尼西林的成分

so 140 degrees Fahrenheit,

我們將盤尼西林存放在攝氏60度

for two months without loss of efficacy of the penicillin.

也就是華氏140度 的環境

And so that could be ---

盤尼西林的藥效可維持整整兩個月

(Applause)

就可以 ...

that could be potentially a good alternative

(掌聲)

to solar powered refrigerated camels. (Laughter)

就可以是背著太陽光電板以冷凍保存藥物的駱駝

And of course, there's no use in storage if you can't use [it].

的另一種解決方案

And so there is this other unique material trait

當然 最重要還是它應有的效果

that these materials have, that they're programmably degradable.

所以這是它另一獨特的性質

And so what you see there is the difference.

它們能被設計成 可程式的分解

In the top, you have a film that has been programmed not to degrade,

這裡顯現不同處

and in the bottom, a film that has been programmed to degrade in water.

上方是設計成不分解

And what you see is that the film on the bottom

下方是設計成可水解

releases what is inside it.

看到的就是下方的薄膜

So it allows for the recovery of what we've stored before.

會釋出內容

And so this allows for a controlled delivery of drugs

所以我們能重新獲得當初儲存的物質

and for reintegration in the environment

所以就是一個可控制的藥物釋出

in all of these formats that you've seen.

能再與週遭相結合

So the thread of discovery that we have really is a thread.

這些可以以上述的各種形式進行

We're impassioned with this idea that whatever you want to do,

所以我們發現的線索 也真的就是條線

whether you want to replace a vein or a bone,

我們全力要做出你們能想出的東西

or maybe be more sustainable in microelectronics,

是血管 或是骨頭

perhaps drink a coffee in a cup

或是具永續概念的微電子元件

and throw it away without guilt,

或是可安心丟棄的

maybe carry your drugs in your pocket,

咖啡杯

deliver them inside your body

或是可放在皮夾的藥

or deliver them across the desert,

送入體內

the answer may be in a thread of silk.

或是 帶著越過沙漠

Thank you.

這一切就是在這條絲線上

(Applause)

謝謝!