【#天文資訊】哺乳動物免疫系統對假想太空細菌的反應

人類一直努力不懈地尋找外星生命，科學家相信太陽系中可能有不止一個天體存在孕育生命不可或缺的液態水，加上在太空隕石中也不時能找到組成生命基本結構單元之一的胺基酸，外星微生物的存在看來也是有可能的。在將來，假如有太空人前往其他天體，甚至採集岩石樣本帶回地球，亦有可能接觸到由特殊胺基酸構成的外星微生物。如果這些微生物具侵襲性的話，人類的免疫系統是否有能力抵禦這些太空細菌呢？

科學家以小鼠為實驗對象，測試哺乳動物免疫系統對由隕石中兩種常見胺基酸組成的肽有何反應。結果發現當小鼠的T細胞（免疫反應的關鍵細胞）暴露於這種肽時，其活化度只有15%及61%，跟暴露於由地球常見胺基酸所組成的肽時的表現較差。這意味著當人類接觸到外星微生物時，免疫系統未必能有效地作出反應，增加外星探索任務的潛在風險。

【#Astronomyinfo】The Response of Mammalian Immune System to the Imaginary Space Germ

Humans have been working tirelessly to search for extraterrestrial life. Scientists believe liquid water may exist in more than one celestial body in the solar system. They also found amino acids, one of the basic building blocks of life, in meteorites from time to time. The existence of extraterrestrial microorganisms seems possible. In the future, if an astronaut travel to other celestial bodies, and even bring the collected rocks back to Earth, then it is possible to make contact with the extraterrestrial microorganisms composed of special amino acids. If these microorganisms are ingressive, can the human immune system respond effectively against them?

Scientists used mice as a test subject to examine the responses of mammalian immune systems to the peptides composed of two amino acids commonly found on meteorites. It was found that when mouse T cells, which are crucial to the immune responses, were exposed to the peptides, the activation level was only 15% and 61%, which was less efficient compared with their responses to peptides composed of common amino acids on Earth. This means that when humans come into contact with extraterrestrial microorganisms, the immune system may not be able to respond effectively, increasing the potential risks of space exploration missions.

圖片鳴謝Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

更多資料More information: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/homepage/title_807010_en.html

【7月書團預告】
7月書團預計在7/12(日)晚上10點開團，這次除了原來的預購書團外，中文童書有現書，也有部份英文書有現書，所以記得「預購區」和「現書區」的訂購連結都要點進去看，除了有中英文童書，也有台灣首度開團的美國CreateOn磁力磚和5吋地球儀存錢筒（獨家限定色）。

🔺7月書單書介：
👉英文讀本｜3-8歲都找的到適合的分級讀本
✅美國小學指定課外讀物My Weirdest School (6歲以上)
✅S&S分級讀（3-8歲)
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I Love Science
I Love Space
I Love Genetics
I Love Engineering
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Baby Astronaut太空人
Baby Botanist植物學家
Baby Paleontologist古生物學家
Baby Oceanographer海洋學家
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/science/

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✅Puzzle and Play: Alphabet Train大尺寸火車拼圖書
（1歲以上）
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✅Clever Baby 9 Mini Board Book Box Set寶寶認知九宮格隨手書（0歲以上）
✅World of Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar Milestone Blocks 成長紀念積木（1歲以上）
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/1y-books/

👉首度獲紐伯瑞獎的英文漫畫書，美國Amazon目前最暢銷童書
✅New Kid｜畫下成長過程被排擠經驗（8歲以上）
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/new-kid/

👉值得與孩子共讀的社交技巧繪本｜How Selfish! ｜面對爭吵應該怎麼做 （4歲以上）
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/how-selfish/

👉繪本CD書：The Giving Tree ，目前美國Amazon上最暢銷童書（3歲以上）
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/the-giving-tree/

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文章分享 https://ioveyi.tw/create-on/

👉台灣囝仔的中文書單
書介 https://ioveyi.tw/cn-book-202007/

👉5吋地球儀存錢筒（台灣製造，獨家限定色）
文章分享 https://ioveyi.tw/piggy-bank/

其它還有貼紙遊戲書等好書，開團時再一起公告。