All articles tagged with #space biology
Astronauts on the International Space Station are testing a microgravity bioreactor (InSPA-StemCellEX-H2) to expand hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells in space, aiming to produce large quantities for Earth-based cancer and immune-disease therapies, potentially improving cell quality and reducing rejection compared with Earth-grown cells.
Researchers exposed fruit flies to 4–13G hypergravity in a centrifuge. Initial hyperactivity at moderate Gs gave way to reduced activity at higher Gs, but both groups eventually returned to normal behavior, and a multi‑generational test showed some populations thriving for 10 generations, suggesting gravity directly shapes energy use and movement and highlighting the resilience of biological systems with implications for future space exploration.
In 2012, NASA sent two jumping spiders, Nefertiti and Cleopatra, to the International Space Station to study how they adapt to microgravity. Nefertiti hunted fruit-fly prey in space and the mission set a record for the longest time spent by a spider in space (100 days). Cleopatra died on return to Earth, while Nefertiti survived the voyage and readjusted to gravity, later dying four days after a Smithsonian display.
During Artemis II’s lunar flyby, four tiny chips seeded with the astronauts’ bone marrow cells circled the Moon to study how deep-space conditions—like radiation and microgravity—affect human biology, part of NASA’s Avatar program using organ-on-a-chip devices to inform future space medicine.
Researchers grew edible fungi (lion’s mane, turkey’s tail, cordyceps) as mycelium aboard the ISS in 2024 to explore space nutrition for long missions. After returning to Earth, the samples were cultivated into mushrooms on Earth, eaten in recipes, and shown to continue producing harvests in various environments, suggesting microgravity doesn’t hinder their growth and hinting at space-provisioned food for future expeditions like Artemis II.
Researchers and startups are exploring space fertility, from microgravity experiments on embryos to plans for private crews on Virgin Galactic’s Delta-class plane, signaling early steps toward space-enabled reproduction and the broader potential of space colonization.
A study on the ISS shows that microgravity alters how bacteria and their phages interact: E. coli and phage T7 infect more slowly without convection, leading to distinct mutations in both organisms; space-evolved phages become better at binding and, when tested back on Earth, are more effective against certain UTI-causing E. coli—highlighting potential for phage therapies and astronaut health research, albeit with cost barriers to replicating microgravity experiments.
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins retired after 16 years, during which she completed two missions on the International Space Station, becoming the first person to sequence DNA in space and contributing significantly to space biology and biomedical research. She also played a key role in developing space suits for future Artemis missions and continues to advocate for innovation at the intersection of biology and space. Her career leaves a lasting legacy in space exploration and scientific advancement.
NASA-funded research reveals that multi-drug resistant strains of the bacterium Enterobacter bugandensis, isolated from the International Space Station (ISS), have mutated to become genetically and functionally distinct from their Earth counterparts, persisting and coexisting with other microorganisms in the extreme environment of the ISS. This study sheds light on microbial dynamics in closed human-built environments, providing insights for effective preventative measures for astronaut health in space.