超级私人定制：打造含有你基因的珠宝 [美国媒体]

Gene Gems: Ultrapersonalized Jewelry Encapsulates Your DNA

基因宝石：打造含有你基因的超级私人定制珠宝

A sterling silver ring that has DNA samples embedded inside (under the diamond).
Credit: Inside Identity/TurboBeads 

精美的银戒内部嵌入了DNA样本（就在钻石下方）
来源：Inside Identity/TurboBeads



Diamonds may be forever, but what's more unique and rare than even the most precious stones on Earth? The code of life, said Swiss chemist Robert Grass, the mastermind behind Identity Inside, a project that aims to create ultrapersonalized jewelry embedded with a loved one's DNA.

钻石固然永流传，但是有什么比这地球上最珍贵的宝石还要独特稀少的吗？那就是生命的密码，瑞士化学家Robert Grass如是说。Robert Grass是Identity Inside项目的策划者，该项目旨在创造内嵌爱人DNA的超级私人定制珠宝。

The inspiration behind the custom-made baubles came from Grass' professional work to develop technology to stabilize and store DNA. "We started playing around with the idea of what we could do with this technology," he told Live Science. "Our DNA is what makes us unique, and with jewelry, it's something that you want to be unique and special."

Grass的专业是DNA的稳定和储存，而他所创饰品的灵感也正是来源于此。“有了这项技术后，我们开始琢磨用它来做点什么，”他告诉Live Science的记者，“DNA是让我们独一无二的原因，而对珠宝来说，人们渴望它独一无二而又别具意义。”

So how does it work? First, the purchaser needs to collect saliva samples (with a cotton swab on the inside of his or her cheek). This is then sent to Grass' lab in Switzerland, where the sample is processed and DNA is extracted and purified. The scientists add chemicals to the liquid solution containing the DNA to promote the growth of glass that "fossilizes" and encapsulates the DNA at room temperature (imagine a process similar to the fossilization of mosquitos in amber). 

那么这种珠宝是如何制作的呢？首先，需要买家提供唾液样品（用棉拭子擦拭口内颊粘膜）。然后送到Grass位于瑞士的实验室进行DNA分离提纯。化学家向含有DNA的溶液中添加化学试剂，以使其变成玻璃体，该玻璃体内含DNA，类似“化石”并且可以室温保存（想象一下被包裹在琥珀中变成化石的蚊子）。

The result is powdered glass containing tiny strands of DNA, Grass said. Once they have this substance, the scientists then drill a small hole on the inside of a piece of jewelry (a ring, for instance), fill it with the powder and seal the opening with a flawless, 0.02-carat diamond.

最终就得到了含有微小DNA核酸链的粉状玻璃，Grass说。得到这些玻璃粉以后，科学家就会在珠宝（例如一枚戒指）上钻一个小洞，将玻璃粉填进小洞，最后用一枚完美无瑕的0.02克拉钻石将小洞封上。

The process leaves the DNA unharmed, Grass said, which means the samples can be recovered at any time for future use or analysis. The researchers also collected data on decay and found that, under simulated storage conditions, the encapsulated DNA would decay to half its concentration over the course of 1,000 years.

经过如此处理的DNA并没有收到任何损坏，Grass介绍说，这意味着玻璃粉中的样本随时可以复原，并用于未来的使用或者分析。研究者还收集了经此处理后DNA腐败的资料，发现在没有特殊刺激的条件下储存时，被包在玻璃体中的DNA经过1000年后，只有一半会腐败损毁。



Identity Inside is offering to preserve DNA within sterling silver rings, Swiss-made watches and rose gold pendants, and the project is seeking funding through Kickstarter. The campaign has currently raised more than $9,000, but Grass said he hopes to reach the project's goal of almost $20,000 by Dec. 20.

Identity Inside项目目前提供可保存DNA的精美珠宝有：戒指、瑞士制造的手表以及玫瑰金坠饰，而且正在Kickstarter上寻求资助。目前已经募集到9000多美金，而Grass表示希望在12月20日前能够募集到项目目标——20000美金。

For Grass, Identity Inside represents a new way to share something intimate and personal, which is something he said he struggled with when looking for a gift for his wife after they got married and after the birth of their child.

对于Grass来说，当婚后孩子出生时，他冥思苦想送妻子什么礼物，于是就有了Identity Inside。Identity Inside项目为人们订制私密礼物提供了一种全新的方式。

"I was looking for something special, something more than just a shiny stone," he said. "With [Identity Inside], I want to give the owner a feeling of uniqueness."

“我当时苦苦寻找一个特别的礼物，不止是闪烁的宝石那么简单，”他说，“而现在，我想将这份独一无二的感受通过【Identity Inside】传达给珠宝的主人。”