英语演讲稿

电喷雾离子化技术的发明人、美国科学家johnfenn2002年度诺贝尔化学奖约翰·芬恩：1917年出生于美国纽约市，1940年获耶鲁大学化学博士学位，1967年到1987年间任该大学教授，1987年起被聘为该大学名誉教授，自1994年起任弗吉尼亚联邦大学教授。

MARGARETWARNER:Thisyear''''sNobelPrizeinchemistrywenttothreescientists:KurtWuethrichofSwitzerland;KoichiTanakaofJapan;andanAmerican,JohnFenn.TheNobelCommitteecitedthemfordevelopingwaysofidentifyingandanalyzinglargemolecules,likeproteins.Thenewmethods,theNobelCommitteesaid,"haverevolutionizedthedevelopmentofnewpharmaceuticals,"andholdpromiseforearlydetectionofbreastandprostatecancer.WithusnowistheAmericanwinner,JohnFenn,whowillsharethe$1millionprizewiththeotherwinners.At85,he''''scurrentlyaresearchprofessorofchemistryandengineeringatVirginiaCommonwealthUniversityinRichmond.

Welcome,ProfessorFenn,andcongratulations.

JOHNB.FENN,NobelPrizeforChemistry:Thanksverymuch.

MARGARETWARNER:Howdidyouhearthenews?Wereyousurprised?

JOHNB.FENN:Thetraditionaltelephonecallat5:30thismorning.Mywifepickedupthephoneandshecameandholleredtome,"Stockholmiscalling!"So...IhadwatchedtheprogramthatyouhaveyesterdayandknewthatthephysicistshadgottentheirNobelPrize,andsoStockholmcallingatthistimeofyearcouldhavemeantonlyonething.That''''swhatitwas.I''''mstillinastateofshock.

MARGARETWARNER:I''''mgladwehelpedprepareyou.Thecommittee,aswejustsaid,citedyouandtheotherwinnersforyourworkindevelopingnewwaysofweighingmoleculesofproteins.Tellusinlayman''''stermswhyisitimportanttobeabletoweightheseproteins,thesemolecules?

JOHNB.FENN:Well,theweightormassofaproteinmoleculeisaveryimportantcharacteristicofitsidentity.Sogettingtheirmassisthefirststeptowardidentifyingthem.

MARGARETWARNER:Andsowhatisitaboutyourmethodthatyoudevelopedthataddedsomethingnew?Whatdidyourwork...whatdoesyourworkenableresearcherstodotheyweren''''tabletodobefore?

JOHNB.FENN:Well,inhomelyterms,welearnedhowtomakeelephantsfly,asitwere.Thesehugebigmoleculescannotbeputintothegasphaseasvaporsorgaseswithoutcatastrophicdecomposition.Ifyou''''veevertriedtodistillaneggoutofafryingpan,youknowyoucan''''tdoit.Itjustdecomposesincarbon.Sobytrickingthem,weareabletogetthemintothegasphaseandthenintothevacuum.Oncewegetthemintothevacuumwithchargesonthem,wecanusetheveryoldartofmassspectrometryofdeterminingtheirmasses.Andhavingdeterminedtheirmasses,wecantakethenextstepandbringaboutcollisionsandbreakthemupintotheircomponentpieces,usuallyshortpiecesofproteinorevenasfardownastheaminoacidsofwhichallproteinsarecompromised.Soyouaccumulateallthisinformationandrefertogreatlibrariesofinformation,andwecanidentifyalmostanymoleculeratherquickly.

MARGARET世界秘书网版权所有WARNER:Sohowdidthislead,astheNobelCommitteesaid,torevolutionarydevelopmentsinnewmedicines,innewpharmaceuticals?

JOHNB.FENN:Well,inanew...inanynewmedicine...forexampleasyouknowtheFoodandDrugAdministrationrequireslengthytrialsinwhichanimalsandhumanbeingsaregiventhemedicine,andthentheyhavetodeterminewhathappenstothebodywhenthesemedicinesaretaken.Andsotherearegreatbatteriesoftests,analyticalprocedures,analyzingallthebodyfluids--blood,saliva,urine--andseeingwhatthemetabolitesofthesedrugsare--thatis,thepiecesthatthebodymakesoutofthemwhentheyoperateonthemintheirvariouschemicalprocesses.Andthenwehavetoseehowlongthesemetabolitesstayinthebody,whatittakesforthebodytogetridofthem,andhowcompletelythebodygetsridofthem,andsoallofthesestepsrequirefairlyintricateanalyses.Itjustsohappensthatthisso-calledelectrospraymassspectrometrygreatlyspeedsupandincreasestheaccuracyoftheseanalyses,andsomostoftheworkusingthistechniqueisbeingusedindrugcompaniestoday.

MARGARETWARNER:Andthenhowwillyourmethodcontributetofightingcancerordetecting...earlydetectionofcancer?

JOHNB.FENN:Well,whenthebodyhasacancerousgrowthsomewhere,therearefrequentlyparticularchemicalsthatareassociatedwiththatbodywhichgetreleasedintothebloodstream.Andsoifonehasasensitiveenoughmethodofanalysis,onecansometimessaysomewhereinthebodythereisacancerbecauseweseethisparticularcompound.

MARGARETWARNER:Howdidyougetinterestedinchemistrytostartwith?

JOHNB.FENN:Well,tostartwith,IhadawonderfulteacherwhenIwasafreshmanincollegeandtookhischemistrycourse.Andhemadethesubjectlive.Andso,Igotbitten.

MARGARETWARNER:Thenhaveyoualwaysfoundtheresearchendofitfascinating?

JOHNB.FENN:Asamatteroffact,no.TheresearchIdidformydegreeingraduateschoolwasverydull,andIwantednopartofit.ButIwentandworkedinindustryforafewyears,andthenforavarietyofreasonsgotbackintoacademia,andbythattime,IhadmoreinterestingproblemstoworkonthanIhadformyPh.D.thesis,andithasbeenlotsoffunandexcitementeversince.

MARGARETWARNER:Andatage85,youarestilldoingresearchandteachingresearch.

JOHNB.FENN:Well,putitthisway--Igotothelabeveryday.WhetherIaccomplishmuchinthewayofresearch,Idon''''tknow.Butweareworkingonproblems,andItrytoencouragestudentstolookatthisorlookatthatorlookattheotherthing,andIgetalotofnourishmentfromtheiryoungredbloodcells.I''''mavampire,essentially.

MARGARETWARNER:Andwillwinningthisprizechangeyourlifeinanyway?

JOHNB.FENN:Italreadychangedit.I''''vebeenonthetelephonealldaylong.Idon''''tknow.Imean,I''''veneverbeenthroughthisbefore,butIguessitwill.

MARGARETWARNER:Andhaveyoudecidedonwhatyou''''regoingtodowithyourprizewinnings?

JOHNB.FENN:No,theonlythingIknowI''''mgoingtogodo,theonlythingIamgoingtodoispayincometaxonit.ButwhatI''''lldoafterthetaxispaid,Ihavenoidea.I''''venotthoughtaboutityet.I''''vegotplentyoftimebeforeIhaveitinmypocketanyway.

MARGAR世界秘书网版权所有ETWARNER:ProfessorFenn,thankyousomuchandagain,congratulations.

JOHNB.FENN:Wellthankyouverymuch.