Scholar’s Advanced Technological System

"... Yesterday, the United Nations held an ad hoc meeting in New York to determine a contingency plan for the global crisis of Martian strain invasion. A research team composed of multinational researchers will be stationed in the Moon Palace Space Station within one week, The strain is being developed."

“At the same time, according to the International Health Organization research decision, the bacteria was officially named x-0172 bacteria.”

“Huaguo News, report for you.”

The report on Martian bacteria is over, and the news on TV continues to be shown.

Sitting at the table and enjoying breakfast quietly, Lu Zhou glanced at the calendar on the phone and said to himself.

"There are eighty-seven days left."

Time is tight...

Pick up the remote control and turn off the TV. Lu Zhou took out a paper towel and wiped his mouth. Then he pushed the chair and stood up from the table.

"Xiao Ai, it will bother you if you clean up the tableware."

A quadrotor drone with a small TV swayed and flew from the kitchen.

[Good master, give it to me! ?(????????)?]

After throwing the work of washing the dishes and packing the table to Xiao Ai, Lu Zhou took a jacket from the door and put it on the body, then called the phone to Wang Peng.

Soon a black red flag stopped outside the villa and sent him from the door of the home to the Jinling Institute of Advanced Studies.

In fact, in a strict sense, research in the biological field is not the strength of the Jinling Institute of Advanced Studies.

In particular, the astronomical biology of this unpopular branch, not to mention the Jinling Institute of Higher Education can not find a person to study this direction, even if placed in the top five national comprehensive universities, can not find out.

However, sometimes research involving cutting-edge fields does not necessarily have to be done by a professional counterpart. After all, the more cutting-edge things, even professional counterparts, are at the most experienced, and everyone's starting line is actually similar.

At present, the Institute of Advanced Studies is well-known in the field of microbiology, and only Professor Liu Zuobing, who is in charge of the “freeze dormancy” project.

Although his main research direction is cryobiology, he often has more say in the sense of x-0172 bacteria because he often studies cell samples collected in extreme environments.

After all, x-0172 bacteria are also collected from extreme environments...

After getting out of the car, Lu Zhou went straight to the building of the Institute of Biology.

When he arrived at the laboratory, Professor Liu Zuobing and several of his students were busy watching and recording what was in front of the electron microscope.

After not disturbing their research, quietly waiting for them to finish their work, Lu Zhou went forward and looked at Professor Liu and asked.

“Is the sample delivered?”

"Already sent," refers to the specimen on the microscope, Professor Liu Zuobing said with a smile and said, "I bet it is probably the most expensive in the world."

Lu Zhou also said a joke.

"...It is estimated to be the most dangerous in the world."

Professor Liu Zuobing smiled and put his hand on it: "There is no need to worry about it. The specimens sent to the earth have been inactivated at the highest level. As long as the operation is strictly in accordance with the safety manual, there will be basically no problem."

Although the word "basic" is somewhat sensitive, Lu Zhou still believes that Professor Liu's level should not be so low-level mistakes.

After a pause, Lu Zhou asked him what he was most concerned about.

“Is there any research progress?”

"The progress is a little bit," Professor Liu Zuobing pushed down his glasses and continued. "According to the latest research published by Professor Leslie and Professor Zhao Shuxuan, we can confirm that the symptoms of sleepiness appear in the colonists of Ares. It should be caused by the amino acid derivatives secreted by x-0172 bacteria in the formation of spores."

“Amino acid-like derivatives?” Lu Zhou frowned, and continued to ask, “Is the problem serious?”

"Serious to not very serious, this kind of amino acid derivative is very interesting, it will not hurt the host, and even ... is beneficial to the host."

Lu Zhou: "...be useful? Can you elaborate with me?"

“Active sleep,” suddenly threw out a word that was unexpected, and Professor Liu explained in an inferred tone that “it is assumed that there are already atmospheric, magnetic, and even rich ecosystems on Mars, when encountering severe geology. Changes or other external factors that cause Mars to become less livable, the pheromones released by the bacteria in the spores will likely help the host to survive the period of material scarcity, just like hibernation."

Helping the host to weather the extreme weather, on the surface is helping the host through the difficulties, in fact, the self-rescue of the bacteria. Therefore, compared with the parasitic relationship, the bacteria and the host are more like a mutually beneficial relationship.

Having said that, Professor Liu Zuobing paused for a few seconds and looked at the thoughtful Zhou Zhou and continued.

"At present, we have not found that in addition to the symptoms of lethargy, this bacterium has other effects on the health of the host. We have reason to believe that secreted pheromones are an active defense mechanism of the bacteria, by reducing metabolism, active dormancy. The form helps the host to actively sleep. In this dormant state, the host's tolerance to extreme environments will be greatly improved, and at the same time, only a small amount of energy is consumed, and the minimum vital characteristics can be guaranteed."

Lu Zhou thought for a moment and then asked: "But the mechanism of releasing pheromones?"

"The problem is here, we haven't fully understood its generation mechanism yet," Professor Liu Zuobing sighed. "There are two kinds of speculations. One is when the host itself has an immune response to the foreign bacteria. The attack forced the bacteria to produce spores due to self-protection, while the active dormant pheromone was forced to release."

"As for one possibility, under the stimulation of some external physical conditions, the bacteria will judge that the host is in an extremely harsh environment, actively releasing spores and dormant pheromone to protect the host."

Although lethargy is not a fatal symptom, it is a headache for a normal person if you are dozing off all day long.

At present, one of the three colonists has found a similar situation, which means that the probability is at least one-third.

If one-third of people on the planet double their sleep time, it is hard to say what impact it will have on modern society.

Lu Zhou pondered for a moment and asked: "Which kind of possibility do you prefer?"

Professor Liu Zuobing: "I prefer the first one."

Lu Zhou immediately responded: "That is, the colonizer in the clinical symptoms of drowsiness, there may be antibodies to x-0172 bacteria?"

Professor Liu Zuobing said with a prudent attitude.

"Not good, but I think it should be like this!"