首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Insects entombed in fossilised amber for tens of millions of years have provided the key to creating a new generation of antibio
Insects entombed in fossilised amber for tens of millions of years have provided the key to creating a new generation of antibio
admin
2013-02-03
41
问题
Insects entombed in fossilised amber for tens of millions of years have provided the key to creating a new generation of antibiotic drugs that could wage war on modern diseases. Scientists have isolated the antibiotics from microbes preserved either inside the intestines of the amber-encased insects or in soil particles trapped with them when they were caught by sticky tree resin up to 130 million years ago. Spores of the microbes have survived an unprecedented period of suspended animation, enabling scientists to revive them in the laboratory.
Research over the past two years has uncovered at least four antibiotics from the microbes and one has been able to kill modern drug-resistant bacteria that can cause potentially deadly diseases in humans. Present-day antibiotics have nearly all been isolated from micro-organisms that use them as a form of defence against their predators or competitors. But since the introduction of antibiotics into medicine 50 years ago, an alarming number have become ineffective because many bacteria have developed resistance to the drugs. The antibiotics that were in use millions of years ago may prove more deadly against drug-resistant modem strains of disease-causing bacteria.
Haul Cano, who has pioneered the research at the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, said the ancient antibiotic had been successful in fighting drag-resistant strains of staphylococcus bacteria, a " superbug" that has threatened the health of patients in hospitals throughout the world. He now intends to establish whether the antibiotic might have harmful side effects. "The problem is how toxic it is to other cells and how easy it is to purify. " said Cano.
A biotechnology company, Ambergene, has been set up to develop the antibiotics into drugs. If any ancient microbes are revived that resemble present-day diseases, they will be destroyed in case they escape and cause new epidemics. Drug companies will be anxious to study the chemical structures of the prehistoric antibiotics to see how they differ from modern drugs. They hope that one ancient antibiotic molecule could be used as a basis to synthesise a range of drugs.
There have been several attempts to extract material such as DNA from fossilized life-forms, ranging from Egyptian mummies to dinosaurs, but many were subsequently shown to be unsuccessful. Cano’s findings have been hailed as a significant breakthrough by scientists. Edward Colenberg, an expert on extracting DNA from fossilized life-forms at Wayne State University in Detroit, said: "They appear to be verifiable, ancient spores. They do seem to be real. " Richard Lenski, professor of microbial ecology at Michigan State University, said the fight against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as tuberculosis and staphylococcus, could be helped by the discovery.
However, even the discovery of ancient antibiotics may not hah the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Stuart Levy, a micro-biologist at Tufts University in Boston, warned that the bacteria would eventually evolve to fight back against the new drugs. "There might also be an enzyme already out there that can degrade it. So the only way to keep the life of that antibiotic going is to use it sensibly and not excessively. " he said.
Summary
Microbes that may supply new antibiotic drugs have been【66】in the bodies of fossilised insects. The discovery may help destroy【67】bacteria. What needs to he done now is to find out how【68】they are to humans. It is thought that a single antibiotic molecule could lead to a whole series of new drugs. Other scientists who have tried to produce antibiotics in a similar way have been【69】. Scientists think Cano’s findings are a【70】breakthrough in the fight against diseases.
选项
答案
modern drug-resistant
解析
由第二段第一句“最近两年的研究已经发现了至少四种来源于微生物的抗生素并且one has been able to kill modern drug-resistant bacteria that can cause potentially deadly diseases in humans”,可知答案为modern drug-resistant。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/8IlMFFFM
本试题收录于:
A类竞赛(研究生)题库大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)分类
0
A类竞赛(研究生)
大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)
相关试题推荐
Somepeoplemaychoosetoliveonwaterforthepleasureandenjoymentofhavingahomethatisdifferentfromthehomesofmost
Nowadays,mostpeoplerealisethatit’sriskytousecreditcardonline.However,fromtimetotime,weallusepasswordsandgo
Thetermcultureshockwasintroducedforthefirsttimein1958todescribetheanxietyproducedwhenapersonmovestoacompl
TheMid-AutumnFestivalisanimportantfestivalinsomeAsiancountries.Becausethedateofthisfestivalissetaccordingto
Forthispart,youareallowedtowritealetteronthetopicALettertotheUniversityPresidentabouttheCanteenServiceon
Aseveryschoolboyknows,insectspollinateflowers,whilebirdsandmammalsdisperseseedsbyeatingfruitsortransportingbur
Usingtheclueandthelettersprovided,insertthelettersintothegrid,togivetwowordswhichmeananimportanttime.
Excessivesugarhasastrongmal-effectonthefunctioningofactiveo【66】suchastheheart,kidneysandthebrain.Shipwrecked
AGUIDETOTOXICSINTHEHOMEThisfactsheetbringsgoodnews.Therearealternativesto"householdtoxics".Someofthesep
随机试题
工人必需消耗的工作时问中,()是指为保证基本工作能顺利完成所消耗的时间。
女性,60岁。右下肢内侧静脉迂曲10年,伴酸胀。查体:Pratt试验阳性,其临床意义是
患者,女,28岁,形体消瘦,性情急躁,近日胁痛口苦,纳呆泛恶,目黄溲赤,苔黄而腻,脉弦数。该患者中医辨证属于
钱某,已婚未育,有停经史,末次月经记不清,自觉腹部逐渐增大,怀疑妊娠来院检查,确诊妊娠以下哪项最不可靠()
企业投资项目核准申请报告的内容有()。
2016年7月15日,B工厂正在生产的梳麻车间、前纺车间和准备车间的联合厂房突然发生亚麻粉尘爆炸起火。一瞬间,停电停水,当班的450名职工大部分被围困在火海之中。经及时抢救,多数职工脱离了危险区。B厂的除尘系统采用布袋除尘,金属管道输送亚麻粉尘。
2009年3月,甲、乙、丙、丁按照《中华人民共和国合伙企业法》的规定,共同投资设立一从事商品流通的有限合伙企业。合伙协议明确约定了以下事项:(1)甲以现金5万元出资,乙以机器设备作价8万元出资,丙以劳务作价4万元出资,另外以商标权作价5万元出资,丁以现金
2013年5月10日,某家具行与某贸易公司达成买卖10套仿古红木家具的协议,约定双方在合同书上盖章后合同成立,但未约定家具的质量标准。家具行盖章后,将合同书寄给贸易公司盖章。贸易公司未盖章,即将10套仿古红木家具发运给家具行。家具行收到家具的当天,将家具卖
Whydidthemanstarttheshoe-makingcompany?
A、Shewouldliketomarkpapers,too.B、Shewantstoaskforalighterload.C、Shewantsthemantotalktotheworkaholicprofe
最新回复
(
0
)