![]() ![]() Space-faring yeasts can be cultured for future missions to far-away planets – space bakery anyone? By analyzing the strains that performed better in microgravity, researchers could identify genes that could be used for longer space missions. The cells diverted their energy to repair themselves and grew less quickly. Unsurprisingly, in microgravity the yeast showed signs of stress and had problems building cell walls. The Xtreme CT scanner ESA helped develop can show the microscopic architecture of bones and their strength to monitor bones of everyone on and around Earth.Īnother experiment in Biolab investigated yeast strains that have been used to make bread and brew drinks for centuries. To follow up on the above study in more detail, the EDOS-1 and 2 experiments required better medical scanners to see the finer structure of astronaut bones – so they created just that. On Earth a study would take decades to see results, but the accelerated aging seen in astronauts allows researchers to fast-track ideas.ĮSA astronaut Frank De Winne installs experiment containers for the Yeast experiment in the Biolab incubator in Columbus on October 2, 2009. Studying astronauts in space showed that acidity in the body accelerates bone loss, and you can counteract the acidity by eating less salt or taking bicarbonate pills as a simple preventive measure. This disease costs Europe around €25 billion a year and typically affects the elderly, resulting in brittle and fragile bones and broken hips and arms from falls. Now, the hardware and the methods used are being shared with the medical community to aid the care of at-risk new-borns, who have even less blood to spare for analysis.Īstronaut bones go through accelerated osteoporosis during spaceflight. Through necessity, researchers developed new ways of analyzing small quantities of blood, so as not to drain the astronauts’ already-depleted supplies. The Immuno experiment took a holistic approach to investigating stress by utilizing questionnaires, blood samples and temperature readings from the astronauts showing that the immune system goes haywire. What we learned from this experiment is now flying as a stand-alone satellite. ![]() The Vessel-ID global traffic monitoring receiver was tested outside the Columbus laboratory and picked up a distress beacon from a fishing ship search and rescue authorities were then notified. ![]() This experiment is not research into humans, but it did literally save lives. But how do you ensure astronauts get a good night sleep when the Sun sets 16 times a day seen from the International Space Station? Structure, light and chemical aids if necessary is the answer (so far), and these findings apply to you on Earth too. Sleep is important, and being alert even more so if you are about to dock two spacecraft many millions of kilometers away from Earth. On Earth, gravity pulls the cells down making 3D-structures harder to achieve in the lab. Not content with just observing blood vessels, how about growing new ones in space? This experiment exploited weightlessness to see if we can grow new three-dimensional organs. Credit: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy In blue are the cell nuclei containing DNA. In red is the ‘actin’ protein that allows the cells to move, adhere, divide, and react to stimuli. Components of human endothelial cells stained for identification. ![]()
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