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A team of Swiss scientists using gene editing technology have for the first time created a computer-generated genome of a living thing.
瑞士科学家团队利用基因编辑技术首次通过电脑生成生物基因组。
In this case, a tiny freshwater bacterium that has about 4,000 genes that make up its genome. That's a lot of genes to stick together.
在这个实验中，一个淡水细菌的基因组有大约四千个基因，需要把如此多的基因连接在一起。
But the scientists took advantage of the fact that all living things have a lot of redundant and junk DNA in their genome.
但科学家利用了所有生物的基因组中都有多余和垃圾基因。
They created an algorithm that cuts out that excess DNA and used gene editing technology to create a bare-bones DNA version of the tiny bacterium.
他们创造了算法，可以切断这些多余的基因，然后使用编辑技术来创造组成小细菌的基本基因。
This algorithm rewrites the letters of DNA from a natural genome into a completely new sequence,
这个算法重新编写了基因的字符串，将自然的基因组变成全新的顺序，
and this new sequence is really easy to manufacture from a chemical perspective.
从化学角度讲，这种新的顺序很容易进行创造。
The team leaders brothers Beat and Matthias Christen work at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
团队领导人是兄弟俩，比亚特和马蒂亚斯在苏黎世联邦理工学院工作。
Matthias says the genome they created isn't alive, it's more a proof-of-concept experiment
马蒂亚斯称他们创造的基因组不是活的，这更多的是证明概念的实验，
that's a first step towards building designer genomes that will function like living things. The genome itself is not fully functional,
这是为创造设计基因组迈出的第一步，那些基因组将拥有生物功能，这个基因组本身不完全体现功能性，
but in the future it will be possible to remove these design flaws of the current version of the algorithm, and improve the performance of it,
但未来他将有可能移除目前算法中存在的设计错误，提高功能性，
and once the algorithm is perfect, it is obvious that it will produce a fully functional genome, which produces a fully replicated artificial cell.
一旦算法完美了，很明显它将创造完全功能性的基因组，这将创造完全可复制的人工细胞。
And that he says opens all kinds of new doors in the realms of medicine and could allow scientists to create designer microbes or active vitamins.
他说这将打开药物领域的所有可能性，允许科学家创造设计的微生物或是活的维他命。
For biotechnology, there is a huge potential to create, based on this technology, new genomes that are designed for specific purpose.
对于生物技术而言，有很大的潜力来创造，基于该技术，新的基因组会用于特定目的。
Just to name a few, it would be vitamin production for example, but also what is fascinating that, based on these genomes,
比方说维他命的生产，但更吸引人的是，基于这些基因组，
you could create new ways how we produce therapeutics, new therapeutics,
你可以在创造新的治疗学方面提供新方法。
for example, genomic vaccines, and also applications for personalised medicines.
比如基因组疫苗，以及引用在私人订制的药物上。
The team is also very aware that they are on the cusp of building living things and say the time is now
该团队还意识到他们即将创建生物，称时间是现在，
before their algorithm is perfected to talk about the ethical issues that come along with the idea of creating life in a test tube.
而且是在他们的算法完美到可以讨论伦理问题，这一问题是伴随着在试管中创造生物而引发的。
In the near future, artificial organisms, based on this technology, will be built, and now is the time to discuss the potential,
在不远的未来，基于这种技术的人工生物将产生，如今是谈论可能性的时候，
future potential of this new technology, but also discuss about how society and politics should evaluate this technology
新技术在未来的可能性，但还要讨论社会和政治如何评价该技术，
for the further regulations, so where it should be used, and where probably it is not wise to use this technology.
作为未来规范，比如该用在哪里，哪里不应该用该技术。
Similar work has been done. But this is the first time a computer has created an actual organism.
类似的工作已经进行了，但这是首次电脑创造了真实的算法。
The team was able to build their genome in about a year on a 120,000 dollars budget.
该团队能够在一年内创建自己的算法，而且预算是12万美金。
Kevin Enochs VOA news
凯文·恩尼克斯，VOA新闻
