Crystal beauty: Illuminating the structure of matter
10 November 2014 Last updated at09:41
By Melissa HogenboomScience reporter, BBC News
To reveal the structure of molecules, scientists use a process called X-ray crystallography.
Now a photographer has captured images featuring details of the technique, illuminating
the structure of matter itself.
為了揭示分子的結構，科學家使用一種稱為X射線晶體學方法。現在一位攝影師已經
拍攝了圖像技術的細節為特色，使物質本身的結構更清楚可析。
The rapid crystallisation of the proprietary cancer drug shown here mimics
the metamorphosis from the early years of cancer treatment to life-saving drugs
available today
這裡顯示了專利抗癌藥物的快速結晶，呈現目前市場上早年可挽救生命的的癌症治療
藥物到今日仍可得
The world of science and art merging is nothing new, but crystallography is seen by
some as an art form in itself.
科學與藝術融合的世界不是什麼新鮮事，但晶體本身被作為一種藝術形式來欣賞。
That's why photographer Max Alexander was brought on board - to capture the beauty
of crystals and to profile the scientists behind the work. He had previously produced an
exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall called Explorers of the Universe.
這就是為什麼攝影師馬克斯·亞歷山大被邀請加入-以捕獲晶體的美麗和簡介科學家
背後的工作。他曾在皇家阿爾伯特音樂廳製作一個展覽稱為宇宙探險。
Now as part of the International Year of Crystallography, soon drawing to an end,
Mr Alexander has gone from the very large to focussing on the importance of the
extremely small.
現在，作為晶體學國際年活動的一部分，很快就接近尾聲，亞歷山大先生已經從
一大範圍離開而專注於不分重要的極小部分。
His new exhibition, Illuminating Atoms, presents the work of crystallographers through
portrait and documentary photography.
他的新展覽，照射原子，通過紀實和文件攝影呈現晶體學家的工作。
It is part of a long-standing tradition at the Royal Albert Hall of showcasing and promoting
cutting-edge science, first introduced by Prince Albert's Great Exhibition of 1851.
Ever since, this cultural hub of London has been known as "Albertopolis".
這是在阿爾貝親王的展覽室的一個長期的傳統展示和促進先端科學，最早是從1851年
開始由阿爾貝親王的展覽開始被介紹從1851年開始介紹。倫敦這個文化中心一直被稱為“Albertopolis”皇家阿爾伯特。
Margarete grows crystals of biological molecules which are analysed by X-ray crystallography
in order to understand how they interact with potential new medicines. The crystal on her
pupil is a reflection from her computer screen
瑪格麗特發展了藉由X-射線晶體學，分析生物分子的晶體以了解它們具有潛在的新藥物是
如何相互作用。在她的瞳孔，反映出她電腦屏幕上的晶體 。
Crystallography is a way of finding the shape of molecules and deducing their atomic
arrangement.
晶體學是發現的分子的形狀和推導它們原子排列的一種方式。
First, crystallographers must turn what they want to study into a crystal. This arranges the
atoms in a structured and ordered way.
It is by shining X-rays onto the crystal that scientists can find out the three-dimensional
arrangement of the molecule. The diffracted X-rays are then detected while the crystal is
rotated.
動衍射的X射線檢測出的。
Understanding the shape and structure of molecules helps scientists to figure out how
they work.
了解分子的形狀和結構，以幫助科學家弄清楚他們是如何工作的。
As mentioned in a previous feature when BBC Radio Science covered the start of
this celebratory year of crystallography, in the words of Nobel laureate Max Perutz it
shows "why blood is red and grass is green, why diamond is hard and wax is soft,
why graphite writes on paper and silk is strong".
正如在以前的功能，當英國廣播公司科學慶祝報導晶體學一年的開始，
由諾貝爾獎獲得者馬克斯·佩魯茨的話就說明“為什麼血液是紅色而草是綠的，
為什麼鑽石是硬而蠟是軟的，為什麼石墨寫在紙上，而絲綢強韌“。
Indeed if it wasn't for breakthroughs in this field, Francis Crick and James Watson
would not have been able to discover the double-helix structure of DNA.
事實上，如果不是因為在這一領域突破，弗朗西斯·克里克和詹姆斯·沃森可能不會
因此發現DNA的雙螺旋結構。
Centrosomes are molecular machines that organise the process of cell division in the body.
To understand this process better, scientists try to grow crystals and solve the structures of
the proteins from which they are built. These crystals are of a protein that co-ordinates the
assembly of this important machine.
中心體是指在體內的組織細胞分裂的過程的分子機器。為了更好理解這個過程，科學家
試著培育晶體並解決由它們所內置的蛋白質的結構。這些晶體就是由這個重要的機器所統
籌裝配的蛋白質。
Diamond is one of the hardest substances known. Squeezing a tiny crystal between
diamonds subjects it to extreme pressures, making the crystal structure change.
The crystal can experience conditions like those deep in the earth's crust, where minerals
like rubies and emeralds are formed.
鑽石是已知最硬的物質之一。擠壓鑽石之間的微小晶體實驗給它極大的壓力，從而使
晶體結構產生變化。水晶可以體驗像那些深藏於地殼，那裡像紅寶石和綠寶石礦物的
形成條件。
"Crystallography is very much a field of science that lends itself to an artistic approach.
It's not just about pattern recognition," says Mr Alexander.
亞歷山大說“晶體學就是一門可讓它引導自身於藝術研究的科學場域。這不只是關於
模式識別，”。
"These [scientists] are people working at the cutting edge of science.
The impact they have across all number of sciences is little known."
“這些(科學家)人，在科學的前端工作，他們橫越科學的數量產生的影響是鮮為人知的。”
This includes fields like drug discovery and vaccine development.
這包括像藥物發現和疫苗開發領域。
There's a massive crossover between science and art, he adds. "Scientists are very
creative people, to draw this creativity out of them helps reconnect the science to the public."
科學和藝術之間有巨大的交叉，他補充道。“科學家們是非常有創意的人，
他們作出這樣的創意來幫助重新科學重新向社會公佈。”
Crystallographer David Keen (pictured) studies crystal structures that behave in unusual ways
when their atoms become disordered. Hundreds of holes were dug in the sand in Porthcawl
beach in South Wales to portray the neutron diffraction pattern from a quartz crystal which is a component of sand
晶體學家大衛·基恩（圖）研究當它們的原子變得紊亂，晶體結構其行為不尋常的方式。
南威爾士州沙波斯考爾海灘被挖了數百個洞以描繪從石英是沙子的一個組成中子的衍射圖部分
The exhibition comes in two categories, portrait images like this one of crystallographer
David Keen (above) who worked with his students to draw a diffraction pattern in the sand.
The second aspect is a documentary strand - a selection of which are featured here.
本次展會有兩個類別，描繪圖像如這位晶體學家大衛·基恩（上圖）與他的學生曾在沙灘
上畫衍射圖案。第二個方面是一種紀錄組成 -選擇哪些是這裡的特色。
His aim was to tell the story of crystallography around the UK and to showcase some
of the facilities used to study its applications.
他的目的是要告訴英國各地結晶的故事，並展示了一些用於研究及其應用設施。
"Aspects of science can be very difficult to understand but if you can find simple ideas
and use those concepts to get those across, that helps to connect the public.
Making that connection is paramount to what I do," explains Mr Alexander.
“科學的方面是非常難以理解的，但如果你能找到簡單的想法，並用這些概念以跨越
得到這些，可以幫助公眾鏈接。亞歷山大先生解釋道，最重要的是我做什麼可幫助鏈接”。
Pharmaceutical materials display different properties depending on the arrangement of
molecules n their crystal structure. Needle-shaped crystals are often difficult to analyse
but finding the right rystal is the first step in the development of treatments for diseases
such as malaria.
藥物材料顯示取決於在其晶體結構分子排列不同的性質。針狀晶體往往很難分析，
找到合適的晶體是在治療疾病發展的第一步，例如瘧疾。
Working together with crystallographers was an important part of the project. One of
these was lspeth Garman, professor of crystallography at the University of Oxford,
in charge of introducing the exhibition.
與晶體學家一起工作是該項目重要組成部分。其中之一是在牛津大學晶體學教授埃
爾斯佩思加曼，負責展覽的引進。
"They're really interesting photographs that make you think about various aspects of
crystallography, beautifully expedited. I'm honoured to be introducing them," she says.
她說“這些照片真的很有趣，可讓你去想晶體的各個方面，促進美麗，我很榮幸能
介紹他們”。
"It opens up a new set of people that might be engaged with crystallography and the
science, just as we're engaging with the arts.
“它開闢了一套新的設置，可能從事晶體學和科學的人，就像我們正從事的藝術。
"My challenge will be trying to communicate what we do and the aesthetic beauty of it to the
people who are more on the arts side, it's a fantastic opportunity which can only expand the
knowledge, excitement and beauty of the field," Prof Garman adds.
“我的挑戰是試圖傳達我們將做什麼，，對更有對藝術一側的人來說它的審美感，這是個
能擴大該領域的知識，興奮和美麗的絕佳機會，”加曼教授補充。
A crystal is placed on the end of the pin with a stream of cool air coming in from the right.
The X-ray beam arrives from the silver pipe and the camera images the crystal.
晶體被放置在從右邊來的冷氣流中引線的端部。所述X射線束從銀管及攝像機的
圖像的晶體而來。
Technicians here are forming a fan blade for a jet engine from titanium alloys, by injecting
high-pressure argon gas at around 1,000C. Crystallography experiments carried out on
these blades helps to understand how their performance is affected by the materials used
in the manufacturing process.
技術人員在這裡用鈦合金噴氣發動機形成風扇葉片，通過在約1000℃下注入高壓氬氣。
藉由材料的使用在製造過程中進行了這些刀片結晶學實驗有助於理解其如何影響性能。
Workers at a lab in Oxford celebrate when a new crystal structure is determined. It can take
many years to grow, measure its diffraction pattern and solve its structure.
當一個新的晶體結構被確定時牛津大學實驗室的工作人員會慶祝。它可能需要花很多年
的培養增長，測量其衍射圖案，去了解它的結構。
The exhibition is now available to view at the Royal Albert Hall until 07 December 2014.
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