Newsletter No. 381

16 No. 381, 19.8.2011 …… 如是說 Thus Spake… 校董會主席鄭海泉博士 Dr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, Council Chairman 下期預告 Coming 7月15日有甚麼見聞感想？ 到了7月15日，新院士先聆聽學會的簡介，1660年創會的緣 起，幾年後獲頒皇家特許的經過，也是自那時開始，新院士 在名冊上簽署的儀式成為了學會的傳統。我在7月15日簽上名 字的那本古老名冊，已經有逾三百年歷史，但據說有足夠頁 數，供未來一百年新加入的院士簽名！ 典禮前，我們花了點時間，練習以傳統的羽毛筆書寫。用它寫 字，並不容易。簽署名冊時，氣氛莊嚴，令我肅然起敬，但我 不得不極之專注地下筆，羽毛筆劃在紙張上，發出沙沙聲。 墨水沿筆尖流下，填滿劃出的印痕，就這樣記下了我的中英 文姓名。我的名字跟前代和當代眾多傑出學者並列，我既感 榮幸又開心。 英國皇家學會在科學發展上擔當甚麼角色？ 西方的科學求索精神，可以說是英國皇家學會奠下的。早在 十七世紀，它已匯聚了一批科學家，大家摸索出新方法，仔細 檢視數據，進行實驗，鼓勵同儕辯論，並將研究結果發表。這 種以實證為本的科學求索精神，延續到今日。因此，學會除了 是科研和創新的龍頭，還策勵了繼後的每一代科學家，認真 地從事研究。 科學可以將生命解碼，乃至創造生命嗎？你會看到甚麼 倫理問題？ 解讀生命奧秘的理論，其實已經存在了一陣子，只是最近生 物科技不斷躍進，令發展愈來愈快。在不久的將來，嬰兒剛 出生，便可以析出完整的基因組合。以我們實驗室開發的技 術而言，假使父母願意，甚至可以在出生前把基因圖譜解 碼。但基因的資料，只是構成生命的部件，像語言中的字母 和詞彙一樣。下一步要做的，是了解它在序列組合下蘊含的意 義。這等於是琢磨個別字元，希望推敲它們在湊併為文章後 的意思。這種發展肯定會衍生道德和倫理問題，但我相信， 以人類的智慧和善意，難題可以迎刃而解。 你以誰為榜樣？誰對你影響最大？ 我仰慕的科學家不僅要有獨創性，還要能夠把所思所想，化 為可讀性高的文章。簡悅威教授是第一位中國人獲英國皇家 學會院士銜，他是遺傳學和產前診斷學的先驅，在我尚未有 幸認識他、仍是一名本科生的時候，讀到他一篇題為‘O n a Slow Boat from China’的文章。他敘述自己在科研路上的 感遇，令我眼界大開，自此受他的啟發，立志從事學術研究。 企業與尖端研究，兩者的關係如何？ 兩者是唇齒相依的，而關係也愈來愈緊密。科學的進步，很 多時是由科技帶動，而開發技術，亦視乎資源是否穩足。舉 個例，析出DNA序列的特別儀器，購置和運作都所費不菲。 企業可以提供策略性支援和資助，推動科研。要做好研究工 作，不僅要有周詳的計劃和管理，最重要的是正視知識產權。 在香港和國內的學生投身研究之初，我們便需要向他們指出 這方面的重要性，好讓中國的科研成果能打入世界舞台。 What happened on 15 July? On 15 July, the new Fellows were given a briefing on the history of the Society, how it began in 1660 and obtained a Royal Charter a few years later. That’s when the tradition of signing the Charter Book began. It’s the same book in which I inscribed my name on 15 July. It is over 300 years old and still has enough pages for new Fellows in the next 100 years! Before the ceremony we were given time to practise using the quill for it was not at all easy to write with this traditional instrument. When I signed my name on the book, I was of course in awe of the solemnity of the occasion and the moment. But I also had to be extremely focused on the act of signing. I could hear and feel the rustle of the quill on the paper, and see the ink spill and sink on the paper to form my name in English and Chinese. I felt proud and happy to have been placed alongside so many distinguished scholars both past and present. How do you see the role of the Royal Society in promoting science? The Royal Society has essentially laid down the mode of scientific enquiry in the western world. In as early as the 17th century, it had already assembled a community of scientists and cultivated the practice of examining data in detail, conducting experiments, encouraging debates among peers and publishing the results. This evidence- based method of scientific enquiry is still with us today. So in addition to its tremendous contributions in terms of leadership and innovation in scientific circles, the Royal Society has far-reaching influence on how generations of scientists have plied their trade. How close is science from decoding or even creating life and what ethical issues do you foresee? The theory for decoding life’s secret has been available for some time, but recent development in biotechnology has quickened the process. In the near future, the entire genetic make-up of a human being will be readily known soon after his/her birth, and through technology developed in our laboratory, should that be the parents’ preference, the genetic blueprint can be deciphered even prior to birth. But genomic information is just the building blocks of life, like the alphabets or the lexicons of a language. The next thing to do is to understand the meanings as they are joined in sequence or in combination. This would be equivalent to inferring the contents of a book from individual words. All these developments would no doubt create complicated moral and ethical problems but I have strong faith in human wisdom and benevolence in solving them. Who is your role model that exerted a lasting influence on you as a scientist? I drew inspirations from scientists who did not only make seminal breakthroughs but also delivered their thoughts and findings in highly readable narratives. Long before I made the personal acquaintance of Prof. Yuet-Wai Kan, the first Chinese to become a Fellow of the Royal Society and a pioneer in genetics and prenatal diagnosis, I came across in my undergraduate days an article by him entitled ‘On a Slow Boat from China’. I was mesmerized by how he had described the journey he travelled in his scientific endeavours. I was inspired to pursue a career in academic research. What is the relationship between industry and cutting-edge research? The two exist in a symbiotic relationship and has become increasingly so. Scientific advancement is often driven by technology, and technological development oftentimes depends on making the requisite resources available. For example, DNA sequencing requires special equipments which can be quite expensive in both installation and upkeep. Enterprises could provide the strategic support and funding to facilitate scientific discoveries. It becomes of paramount importance not only to plan and manage the scientific aspects of a research project well, but to also pay attention to matters concerning intellectual property. In Hong Kong and in mainland China, our students need to be made aware of the importance of intellectual property in scientific research early in their education. This is important as part of the effort to prepare them to help catapulting Chinese science to the global technological scene. 盧煜明教授 Prof. Dennis Lo 全文見 www.iso.cuhk.edu.hk/chinese/newsletter/article.aspx/381/Thus_Spake/ The full version of this article is avilable at www.iso.cuhk.edu.hk/english/newsletter/article.aspx/381/Thus_Spake/ 2011年盛夏，對中大李嘉誠醫學講座教授、李嘉誠健康科學研究所所長盧煜明教授和他的家人來說，是既興 奮又值得紀念的。他獲選為英國皇家學會院士。學會成立於1660年，見證逾三個半世紀的科研發展。盧教授 在7月15日的典禮上，正式在名冊上簽署，與牛頓、達爾文，以及歷史長河上傑出的科學家一樣載入典冊。 在本土，特區政府今年7月公布的授勳名單中，盧教授獲頒銀紫荊星章，表彰他卓越的研究成果和對病人的貢 獻。盧教授娓娓道出他英倫之行的感受，以及對科研、教育的見解。 The summer of 2011 must be an exhilarating time for Prof. Dennis Y.M. Lo, Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine of CUHK and Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, and his family. He was elected to the Royal Society, the prestigious UK academy of science founded in 1660, joining a long and illustrious line of scientists that include Newton and Darwin, andwent to London on 15 July to sign himself into the history of science. He was also awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government in its July Honours List for his research excellence and contributions to the welfare of patients. Professor Lo shares a few thoughts on the Royal Society and on scientific research and education. 郭慶輝攝 Photograph by Nick Kwok 盧煜明教授提供 Courtesy of Prof. Dennis Lo