評論
打印
Science and technology
科學(xué)技術(shù)
Bespoke pets
定制寵物
Just press print
只需按一下打印鍵
It will soon be possible to design and build household animals to order
按需定制寵物很快將成為現(xiàn)實(shí)
I could have sworn I ordered this in blue
我確定我當(dāng)初定的是一只藍(lán)色的
ONE of the most interesting technological trends of the past few years has been the rise of additive manufacturing.
直接數(shù)字化制造算得上是過去幾年當(dāng)中興起的最新奇的新興科技之一。
This technique, which uses three-dimensional printing to make objects ranging from violins to pilotless aircraft,
這一技術(shù)是使用三維打印技術(shù)制造從小提琴到無人機(jī)等各種產(chǎn)品。
allows the construction of individual objects at the whim of the designer.
通過這種技術(shù)，設(shè)計(jì)者可以根據(jù)自己天馬行空的想象來制造單件產(chǎn)品。
Now, a small Californian company, the Gene Duplication Corporation, based in San Melito, proposes to push the technology to its limits.
如今，一家總部位于加州圣美利托鎮(zhèn)的小公司—基因復(fù)制公司打算將這一技術(shù)運(yùn)用到極致。
On Sunday it will announce plans to use 3D printing to make bespoke pets.
本周日，該公司將宣布他們計(jì)劃采用三維打印技術(shù)為顧客定制寵物。
GeneDupe, as the firm is known colloquially, has previously focused on the genetic engineering of animals.
該公司通常被人們稱為GeneDupe，之前一直致力于動物基因工程的研究。
However Paolo Fril, the company's boss, is keen to expand into manufacturing them from scratch.
不過，公司的老板保羅-弗里熱切地希望能夠擴(kuò)展業(yè)務(wù)范圍：從零開始將動物制造出來。
PrintaPet does just that.
就是要實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)目標(biāo)。
The idea of printing organs such as kidneys for transplant has been around for several years.
打印用于移植的器官的想法在幾年前久就已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)。
It works by growing separate cultures of individual cell types, and then spraying them out,
通過將不同種類的單個(gè)細(xì)胞分開培養(yǎng)，
layer by layer, in combination with a binding agent called a hydrogel, to build up the correct shape.
然后將它們一層一層噴灑出來，加上一種稱作水凝膠的粘合劑，就可以構(gòu)建出想要的形狀。
Printing an organ this way is fairly easy.
通過這種方式打印一個(gè)器官相當(dāng)簡單。
A kidney, for instance, has only eight cell types.
比如，打印一個(gè)腎臟只需要用到八種不同類型的細(xì)胞。
An entire mammalian body, though, has 220 cell types.
不過，一個(gè)完整的哺乳動物機(jī)體中有220種不同類型的細(xì)胞。
Laying these down in the correct order is a much more complex problem.
按照正確的順序?qū)⑦@些細(xì)胞組合起則要復(fù)雜得多。
To solve it, GeneDupe's researchers used nanotomography, a precise form of CT scanning that has a resolution of 500 nanometres,
為了解決這個(gè)問題，GeneDupe的研究人員運(yùn)用納米斷層攝影技術(shù)對不同動物中每一個(gè)細(xì)胞的位置與特性進(jìn)行分析。
to analyse the position and nature of every single cell in a variety of animals, particularly breeds of dog.
納米斷層攝影技術(shù)是一種更為精密的計(jì)算機(jī)斷層掃描技術(shù)，其分辨率可達(dá)500納米。
This knowledge not only permits existing breeds to be re-created,
獲得動物機(jī)體中細(xì)胞的位置與特性信息以后，不僅可以將現(xiàn)有品種再制造出來，
but allows entirely new combinations of form, colour and behaviour to be invented, at the customer's command.
還可以根據(jù)顧客的需求，將動物的形狀、顏色及習(xí)性進(jìn)行組合制造出一些全新的品種。
GeneDupe's Universal Pet Printer is loaded with each of the 220 cell types, and is programmed with a three-dimensional map of the creature it is to create.
公司GeneDupe的萬能寵物打印機(jī)內(nèi)已經(jīng)加載了構(gòu)成哺乳動物機(jī)體的所有220種細(xì)胞，并且根據(jù)將要打印的動物體中細(xì)胞的三維信息圖譜編寫了打印程序。
That is devised by the firm's scientists, based on what the nanotomographic analysis has told them about the results of arranging cells in different ways in an animal's body.
根據(jù)納米斷層掃描分析的結(jié)果，該公司的科學(xué)家可以得知以不同的方式對動物體內(nèi)的細(xì)胞進(jìn)行組合的結(jié)果。這也是打印程序的編寫依據(jù)。
The cells themselves are stored in suspension, in glass reservoirs, and each reservoir is connected to a computer-controlled spray gun.
用于打印的細(xì)胞儲存在裝滿懸浮液的玻璃容器中，每個(gè)容器都與一根電腦控制的噴槍相連。
The hydrogels are stored separately.
水凝劑分開儲存。
One, known as osteogel, is particularly important, as this solidifies to provide the animal's initial skeleton.
一種稱為osteogel的水凝劑相當(dāng)關(guān)鍵，它固化以后形成了動物最初的骨架。
Once the new creature is up and running,the various hydrogels are gradually replaced by natural secretions.
一旦這種新制造出來的動物的機(jī)體能夠正常工作以后，各種水凝劑將逐漸被自然分泌物所取代。
In the case of osteogel, that secretion is bone.
取代osteogel的就是骨骼。
The biggest difficulty Dr Fril has encountered is with nerve cells.
弗里博士遇到的最棘手的問題是如何處理神經(jīng)細(xì)胞。
Unlike most other types of cell, which are small, the protuberances from a nerve cell, known as axons and dendrites, may stretch from the animal's spinal cord to the tips of its toes.
和其他大多數(shù)種類體積較小的細(xì)胞不同，神經(jīng)細(xì)胞上的突起可能從脊髓一直延伸到腳趾尖。
To deal with this problem, the pet printer leaves a hole in each layer of cells at every point through which a nerve cell is supposed to pass.
為了解決這個(gè)問題，寵物打印機(jī)在每個(gè)細(xì)胞層都留有一個(gè)小孔，以便神經(jīng)細(xì)胞的突起能從中穿過。
The holes are then filled with nerve-growth factor before the next layer is printed,
之后，在打印下一個(gè)細(xì)胞層之前往這些小孔中注滿神經(jīng)生長因子。
so that when the main body of the nerve cell is sprayed into place it rapidly grows axonal and dendritic protuberances to the right destinations.
這樣神經(jīng)細(xì)胞的主體噴灑到位之后便迅速長出樹突與軸突并延伸到特定的末端。
Knowing how to print nerve cells, is, in fact, the key to the whole thing.
事實(shí)上，打印神經(jīng)細(xì)胞是整個(gè)工作的關(guān)鍵。
Size apart, a healthy heart, kidney or liver is pretty much the same in a retriever or a Rottweiler.
除了尺寸不同之外，要給拾物犬與羅威納犬制造一顆健康的心臟、一個(gè)腎臟或者肝臟的步驟都差不多。
Coat colour, an important consideration for many owners, is easily dealt with by picking the right pattern of melanocyte cells in the skin.
許多寵物的主人都比較在意動物皮毛的顏色，要打印出不同的顏色只需要在皮膚中選取合適的黑色素細(xì)胞排列形式就能輕松實(shí)現(xiàn)。
But an animal's temperament is a very different matter.
但要構(gòu)造動物的脾性卻比這要復(fù)雜得多。
Controlling temperament means laying down the right mixture of nerve cells in the brain, since different types of cell have different effects on personality.
要控制動物的脾性需要正確構(gòu)造動物大腦中的神經(jīng)細(xì)胞組合，因?yàn)椴煌纳窠?jīng)細(xì)胞對動物脾性有不同的影響。
Having worked out how to do this, GeneDupe is able to offer pets that have had their behavioural characteristics fine-tuned.
GeneDupe公司已經(jīng)攻克了這個(gè)難題，現(xiàn)在他們可以對定制寵物的行為習(xí)性進(jìn)行細(xì)微的調(diào)整。
If you want a docile Rottweiler, or even an aggressive retriever, you can have one made to your exact specifications.
如果你想要一只性情溫順的羅威納犬，或者是一只兇猛的拾物犬，你都可以給出詳細(xì)的要求然后定做一個(gè)。
Dr Fril, though, thinks that the most popular modification will be his tweaking of canine scent-marking behaviour so that local lampposts are no longer the preferred sites of relief and communication.
不過，弗里博士認(rèn)為他們對犬類氣味標(biāo)記行為的修改可能最受顧客青睞，因?yàn)榻?jīng)過修改之后的寵物狗不會再把路燈當(dāng)成方便及與同類溝通的場所。
Instead, GeneDupe's pooches are pre-wired to recognise the company's proprietary DoggieLoos, which have a distinctive odour that is perceptible to canids, but not humans.
GeneDupe對其制造的狗狗都預(yù)先進(jìn)行了處理，它們能夠識別該公司的狗狗廁所。這種廁所能夠散發(fā)出一種人類無法察覺但是犬類卻能夠識別的特殊氣味。
There are still a few technical difficulties to overcome, of course, but Dr Fril plans to start taking orders soon.
當(dāng)然，離最終實(shí)現(xiàn)還有一些技術(shù)難題需要攻克，但是弗里博士計(jì)劃不久就開始接受訂單。
And he is already looking forward to the firm's next product, custom-printed boyfriends and girlfriends for those who cannot find the right partner by conventional means，
而他現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)迫不及待地想開發(fā)公司的下一代產(chǎn)品—定制戀人。這款產(chǎn)品主要是針對那些通過傳統(tǒng)方式?jīng)]能找到合適伴侶的人，
a surprisingly large proportion of the population.
這個(gè)群體占人口總數(shù)的比例遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超出了人們的想象。
If all goes well, these will be available by St Valentine's day.
如果一切順利，這款產(chǎn)品在情人節(jié)之前就會上市。
If not, customers will probably have to wait until April 1st of next year.
不然的話，消費(fèi)者可能就得等到明年的愚人節(jié)了。
