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The human microbiome is the community of tiny organisms that live on us and inside us.
人体微生物是我们身体内在外在的微小生物群落。
These critters play vital roles in our health.
而就是这些不起眼的微生物对我们的身体健康起到了至关重要的作用。
They calibrate our immune systems, ward off pathogenic bacteria, even affect our weight.
它们帮助我们调整免疫系统、抵御病原菌、甚至还会影响到我们的体重。
But if we stop the navel gazing—literally, because some scientists are actually measuring belly button bacteria—there's a whole lot to be found in the microbiomes of other organisms, too.
但不夸张地讲，我们不要再紧盯着肚脐，因为一些科学家真的在检测肚脐细菌，这对我们而言可是一个崭新的未知世界。
Take the pesky mosquito.
就拿令人厌的蚊子来说吧。
A few years back, scientists found a soil microbe called Chromobacterium CspP living in the guts of mosquitoes in Panama.
几年前,科学家们在巴拿马的蚊子身上发现了一种被称为色素细菌CspP的土壤微生物。
Upon further study, the researchers say this mosquito-occupant could be a remarkably versatile weapon to fight malaria and dengue fever.
而通过进一步的研究,研究人员表示这种蚊子可能是对抗疟疾和登革热的强力武器。
Because Chromobacterium shortens the lifespan of disease-transmitting mosquito species that harbor it; and kills their larvae outright.
因为该色素细菌会缩短寄生那些传播疾病的蚊子的寿命，并且会直接将幼虫扼杀在体内。
It also reduces mosquitoes' ability to catch the dengue virus, or the malarial parasite; and it kills both pathogens in the lab.
而且该色素细菌还可以降低感染登革热病毒或疟疾寄生虫的能力。在实验室中还它们还杀死了2种病毒的病原体。
Those findings are in the journal PLoS Pathogens.
这些发现已经在《公共科学图书馆:病原体》上发表。
The researchers say this Chromobacterium strain could someday guide the development of new drugs.
研究人员称这种色素细菌菌株未来可能在研发新药方面起到指导作用。
Or serve as a more environmentally-friendly stand-in for pesticides.
或者作为更环保的杀虫剂为人类服务。
But they also say that, as with many disease-control strategies, there's no one silver bullet.
但他们同时也表示如同其他疾病控制策略一样，这种细菌也并非万能药。
Drugs, vaccines, and education will still be crucial to keeping mosquito-borne killers in check.
药物、疫苗及教育仍将在对抗蚊子媒介病源方面起到不可或缺的作用。
Along with good old vector control: in this case, fighting bugs with bugs.
如同老传统的传病媒介控制一样：这种情况就是要以虫治虫。
