超讚！不融化的冰激凌
Ice Cream That Does Not Melt (Immediately)? Sweet!
超讚！不融化的冰激凌What's better than a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day? How about one that doesn't melt into a sticky puddle within minutes? That, believe it or not, could soon become a reality thanks to the ingenious scientists at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee.
沒有比在酷熱天氣來一勺冰激凌更美的事了。如果冰激凌不再分分鐘化掉，豈不更美？信不信由你，愛丁堡和鄧迪大學的科學家很快就能將此實現。
The secret behind this amazing ice cream that could hit grocery shelves within three years, is a naturally occurring protein called BsIA (Bacterial Surface Layer A). Present in foods like Natto, a Japanese breakfast made from fermented soybeans, it is extracted from the Bacillus subtilis bacteria. The scientists who revealed the exciting news on August 31, say that the microorganisms use the BsIA protein to encase and protect their colonies.
這種即將熱賣的冰激凌之所以不易融化，其祕密在於加入了一種叫BsIA的天然蛋白質。日本早餐常見的由大豆發酵而來的納豆裏就包含這種蛋白質，主要從枯草芽孢桿菌提取出來。科學家們在8月31人公佈了這個令人興奮的發現，表示微生物可以用BsIA蛋白保護和包圍它們的族羣。
University of Edinburgh's Cait MacPhee, who is leading this sweet effort, says the protein works perfectly for ice cream. That's because it has the physical properties to "protect" the frozen treat by binding together the air, fat, and water. This makes the ice cream more resistant to melting and allows it to remain firm for longer periods of time, even during hot summer days.
愛丁堡大學這項實驗的帶頭人Cait MacPhee說，這種蛋白質用在冰激凌上效果相當不錯。它能促使冰淇淋的空氣、脂肪和水等各種成分結合在一起，更久地保持冷凍狀態。即使在炎熱的夏天也能讓冰激凌長時間免於融化。The icing on the cake or should we say ice cream ? Bacillus or hay subtilis as it is also called because of its presence in the upper layers of the soil, is a very common bacteria. It can be found everywhere - in water, air, ground and even our gastrointestinal tract. This means that it is a "friendly" bacteria and, therefore, perfectly safe to consume.
蛋糕上的這層冰真的是冰奶油嗎？其實，這層物質也被稱作桿菌，是一種存在於地表的常見菌種。除此之外，水、空氣、地面甚至我們的腸道里都有它的身影。這說明它屬於無害菌種，可以放心食用。As to how long the ice cream will stay frozen? The scientists say that depends on the weather and the flavor. Though some may melt faster than others, they will still last a lot longer than current ice creams. This means we will finally be able to relax and savor the treat, one lick at a time - YUM!
那麼這種冰激凌究竟能維持多久不化呢？科學家表示，這還需要考慮天氣和口味。雖然有些口味保持較短，但也比普通冰激凌給力的多。這說明我們終於可以在不久的將來，輕輕鬆鬆，一口一口的享受美味的冰激凌了。譯文屬原創，僅供學習和交流使用，未經許可，請勿轉載。
