SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY is moving fast and artificial intelligence is turbocharging(极大推动，加速) it. Soon scientists may be able to create whole cells from scratch(从零开始，白手起家). This could allow the AI-assisted exploration of completely unnatural biochemistries(生物化学（体系）).
合成生物学发展迅猛，人工智能更使其如虎添翼。科学家或许很快就能从零开始制造完整细胞。这将使AI辅助探索完全非自然的生物化学成为可能。
One such is mirror life. Many organic molecules come in two asymmetrical(不对称的) forms, like your hands. Amino acids and sugars can in theory take on both a left- and right-handed form which cannot be superimposed(重叠，叠加). In nature, organisms generally contain only one of those forms for each molecule. However, an artificial cell could have its molecules’ handedness(手性，左右手性) reversed. That could shed light on(揭示，阐明) reasons behind handedness. Perhaps the anti-molecules may turn out to be(结果是，证明是) valuable as drugs, say.
镜像生命便是其中一种。许多有机分子像人的双手一样，具有两种不对称的形态。氨基酸和糖在理论上都可以呈现左旋和右旋两种无法重叠的形式。在自然界中，生物体通常对每种分子只含有其中一种形式。然而，人造细胞可以将其分子的手性反转。这可能有助于揭示手性背后的原因。也许这些反分子最终会被证明具有药用价值。
Yet any potential benefits pale beside(相形见绌，黯然失色) the threats. Immune systems may not recognise mirror bacteria, in the way that a glove will not fit the wrong hand. Mirror bacteria may therefore become wildly pathogenic(致病的). Because viruses and predatory amoebas that keep natural pathogens in check may be unable to control them, they could ravage ecosystems.(由于那些制约天然病原体的病毒和捕食性变形虫可能无法控制它们，它们可能摧毁生态系统。) If mirror life escaped from the lab, it would be impossible to recall.
然而，任何潜在益处与威胁相比都黯然失色。免疫系统可能无法识别镜像细菌，就像手套戴错手就戴不上一样。因此，镜像细菌可能变得极具致病性。由于那些制约天然病原体的病毒和捕食性变形虫可能无法控制它们，它们可能摧毁生态系统。如果镜像生命从实验室逃逸，将无法召回。
