Findingfoodsforthefuture随着世界人口增长和气候变化，人类在未来可能会面临食物短缺的问题。目前，许多科学家和研究人员正在与时间赛跑，试图找到好的解决办法。Peopleneedtofindoutnewfoodsbecausetheworldhassomanymouthstofeed.Asof2015,therearemorethansevenbillionpeopleonEarth,accordingtotheUnitedNations.Andby2100thatnumbermaydouble,accordingtosomepredictions(预测).Feedingallofthesepeoplemeansnotonlyimprovingthewayfoodisgrown,butalsofindingnewsourcesoffoods.Andthatneedisbecomingevermoreurgent.Ifnothingchanges,within35years,theworld’sappetite(胃口)willbegreaterthantheamountoffoodproduced.That’saccordingtoareportreleasedlastyear.ItwaspreparedbytheGlobalHarvestInitiative,aprivateagriculturegroupbasedinWashington,D.C.Globalwarming,too,ischangingfoodproduction.Scientistspredictthatrisingtemperatureswillreducethegrowthofimportantcropslikewheatandcorn.Low-incomedevelopingcountrieswillbehitthehardest.Whenharvestsfall,cropsbecomemoreexpensive.Andsincethosefoodsarealsousedtofeedanimalslikecowsandpigs,meatprices,too,willrise.Allovertheworld,researchersareracingagainsttheclocktofigureouthowbesttofeedmorepeopleinthefuture.Andsomesurprisingideashavebeguntoappear.Threeyearsago,scientistsshowedthefirsthamburgermadefrommeatgrowninalab.Otherresearchersaredevelopingseedsthatcanmanagetoliveevenduringhightemperaturesanddrought.Stillothersarefindingwaystochangethegenes(基因)ofmeatanimalssotheyproducemoremeatandcanstandtheheat.Forexample,researchersinSouthKoreaandChinaarelookingintodevelopingasuper-pig.Theseresearchershavechangedthegenesinatypeofpigtocreateananimalthatbecomesbiggerandheavier,packingonmoremuscle(肌肉).Typically,muscletissueisthepartofananimalthatbecomesmeatforfood.BiologistJin-SooKimatSeoulNationalUniversityinSouthKorealeadssuper-pigresearchthere.Kimseesalotofpossibleusesfortheeditingtechnology.Suchgenecorrection,hesays,mighthelpimprovecrops,fishandlivestock(家畜)keptonafarm.“We’renowworkingonchanginggenesinotherlargeanimals,suchasdogsandcows,”hesays.Don’tgolookingforsuper-baconatyourlocalgroceryjustyet.Animalswithgeneschangedinthelabhaven’tyetbeenapprovedforeating.Morestudieswillbeneededtomakesurethatthey’resafe.ButKimandhisworkmateshopethatdaywon’tbefaraway.
