2023-02-13 Could ants help to detect cancer 蚂蚁能帮助 “嗅出” 癌症？

科学家们训练蚂蚁识别尿液中的气味变化，以帮助他们了解测试对象是否患癌症。

The researchers from Sorbonne Paris Nord University say they were surprised by how efficient and reliable the ants were in sniffing out cancer. 70 ants belonging to the species known as Formica fusca were exposed to urine samples from mice with and without cancerous cells.

来自巴黎第十三大学（又称 “索邦-巴黎北大学”）的研究人员表示，他们对蚂蚁能如此高效并可靠地 “嗅出” 癌症感到惊讶。70只属于 “丝光褐林蚁” 品种的蚂蚁接触了来自有癌细胞和无癌细胞的老鼠的尿液样本。

The study showed they were quickly able to tell the difference between the urine odour of healthy mice and that of tumour-bearing mice, because they’d learnt to associate the smell with a treat.

研究显示，这些蚂蚁很快就能分辨出健康老鼠和带肿瘤老鼠的尿液气味之间的区别，因为它们学会了将尿液中癌细胞的气味与甜味食物联系起来。

Scientists now want to see if the insects can do the same for humans. They say ants are a good option because they learn fast and are not expensive to keep.

科学家们现在想研究蚂蚁能否通过人类尿液中的气味变化识别癌症。他们说，蚂蚁是一个很好的选择，因为它们学习速度快，饲养成本也不高。

词汇表

sniffing out 嗅出，闻出
exposed 使暴露，使接触
urine 尿液
cancerous 癌的，癌症的
tumour-bearing 带肿瘤的
associate 将（两种事物）联系起来

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. What was the scientists’ reaction to the ants’ ability to detect cancer?

2. How many ants were exposed to mouse urine?

3. True or false? Ants detected cancer in treats that mice were eating.

4. Why are ants a good option for the task of cancer detection?

答案 

1. What was the scientists’ reaction to the ants’ ability to detect cancer?
The scientists say they were surprised by how efficient and reliable the ants were in sniffing out cancer.

2. How many ants were exposed to mouse urine?
70 ants were exposed to urine samples from mice.

3. True or false? Ants detected cancer in treats that mice were eating.
False. The ants were quickly able to detect cancer because they’d learnt to associate the smell with a treat.

4. Why are ants a good option for the task of cancer detection?
Ants are a good option because they learn fast and are not expensive to keep.