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American researchers have created a technology tool that aims to identify and re-create different smells.
美国研究人员发明了一种旨在识别和重新创造不同气味的技术工具。
The system is powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
该系统由人工智能驱动。
The tool was developed and tested by researchers at Google, universities and the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
该工具是由谷歌、大学和莫奈尔化学感官研究中心的研究人员开发和测试的。
The team recently released results of their method and described the process in an article in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
该研究小组最近公布了他们的方法的结果，并在《美国国家科学院院刊》上发表了一篇文章，描述了这一过程。
The researchers said smells, also called odors, are produced by molecules released into the air.
研究人员表示，气味是由释放到空气中的分子产生的。
Those molecules then enter our noses and are processed there by “sensory receptors.”
然后这些分子进入我们的鼻子，并在那里由“感官感受器”进行处理。
Those receptors send signals to the brain to help us recognize smells.
这些感受器向大脑发送信号，帮助我们识别气味。
The team said smells are identified in a way similar to how we identify and measure colors – using sensory maps.
该研究小组表示，气味的识别方式类似于我们识别和判定颜色的方式——使用感官地图。
For example, maps – like the traditional color wheel – can show many different colors.
例如，地图——比如传统的色轮——可以显示许多不同的颜色。
Such maps present color combinations and show how the colors blend with each other.
这样的地图展现了颜色组合，并显示了颜色是如何相互混合的。
But the researchers said that historically, “useful maps for smell have been missing.”
但研究人员表示，从历史上看，“有用的嗅觉地图一直缺失。”
This is because the molecules related to smell are much more complex.
这是因为与气味相关的分子要复杂得多。
They depend on more than photon particles used to see colors.
它们依赖的不仅仅是用来看颜色的光子粒子。
In addition, the researchers said that while the human eye has just three sensory receptors for color, the human nose has more than 300 for smell.
此外，研究人员表示，人眼只有3个颜色感受器，而人的鼻子有300多个嗅觉感受器。
The scientists built on past research to produce a neural network model that aims to create a “map” to identify molecules related to smells.
科学家在过去的研究基础上建立了一个神经网络模型，旨在创建一张识别与气味相关的分子的“地图”。
A neural network is a computer processing system built to act like the human brain.
神经网络是一种计算机处理系统，其作用类似于人脑。
The team from Google AI calls the newly developed tool a “principal odor map.”
谷歌人工智能团队称这款新开发的工具为“主气味地图”。
The main purpose of the map is to “predict the odor properties of molecules,” the researchers said.
研究人员称，该地图的主要目的是“预测分子的气味特性”。
The neural network models were also trained to identify which molecular characteristics were needed to make correct smell predictions.
训练神经网络模型以确定做出正确的气味预测需要哪些分子特征。
The researchers reported that the AI-powered map permits them to “predict and discover new odors and the molecules that produce them.”
研究人员报告称，由人工智能驱动的地图允许他们“预测和发现新的气味以及产生这些气味的分子。”
The team said their research suggests there are probably billions of molecules that are likely odorous, but have not yet been smelled.
该研究小组表示，他们的研究表明，可能有数十亿分子可能是有气味的，但还没有被闻到。
Since the mapping tool was shown to recognize an odorous molecule from its structure, “this guides us to discover new classes of odorants…” the researchers said.
研究人员表示，由于绘图工具可以根据气味分子的结构识别气味分子，“这引导我们发现新类别的气味。”
For the experiments, the researchers said they collected the largest ever set of data on odor descriptions for different molecules.
研究人员表示，在实验中，他们收集了迄今为止关于不同分子气味描述的最大数据集。
For comparison purposes, they used human subjects to identify the smells of 400 molecules using 55 different descriptions.
为了进行比较，他们让受试者使用55种不同的描述来识别400种分子的气味。
The team said that when compared to the human odor identifications, the neural network model repeatedly performed better than the human subjects.
该研究小组表示，与人类气味识别相比，神经网络模型的表现一再优于人类受试者。
The team said such a tool can be used across many different fields, including the health care, food and fragrance industries.
该研究小组表示，这种工具可以用于许多不同的领域，包括医疗保健、食品和香水行业。
The researchers reported that the tool can be used to help fight one of the world’s biggest health problems – diseases spread through insects.
研究人员报告称，这种工具可以用来帮助对抗世界上最大的健康问题之一——通过昆虫传播的疾病。
They said the system can measure how effective a molecule is at keeping mosquitos away from humans.
他们说，该系统可以测量一种分子在使蚊子远离人类方面的有效性。
The team said it discovered a series of new molecules that can repel mosquitos with at least the same effectiveness as DEET, a chemical commonly used in insect repellants.
该研究小组表示，他们发现了一系列可以驱除蚊子的新分子，它们的效果至少与驱蚊剂中常用的化学物质避蚊胺的效果相同。
This discovery, the researchers said, can lead to the development of less costly, longer lasting, and safer repellants than those containing DEET.
研究人员表示，这一发现可以帮助人们开发出比含有避蚊胺的驱蚊剂更便宜、更持久、更安全的驱蚊剂。
Such repellants could be used “to reduce the worldwide incidence of diseases like malaria, potentially saving countless lives,” the team added.
研究小组还说，这种驱蚊剂可以用来“减少疟疾等疾病在全球的发病率，有可能会挽救无数人的生命”。
I’m Bryan Lynn.
布莱恩·林恩为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
