NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,146 25 April 2025 (Space Life Science Research Results)

The abstract in PubMed or at the publisher’s site is linked when available and will open in a new window.

Papers deriving from NASA support:

1. Quivira-Lopesino A, Sevilla-García M, Cuesta P, Pusil S, Bruña R, Fiedler P, Cebolla AM, Cheron G, Funke M, Maestu F.Changes of EEG beta band power and functional connectivity during spaceflight: A retrospective study.Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 18;15(1):13399.PI: M. FunkeNote: ISS results. This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.8
   
   Funding: “EEG data analysis (A.Q.L., M.S.G., P.C., S.P., R.B., P.F., M.F., F.M.) was in part supported by a grant [NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A] from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) in Houston, TX.”
2. Ocampo J, White RE, Ferraro MJ, Rice KC.Impact of simulated microgravity on the growth and proteomic profile of Enterobacter cloacae.Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Apr 24;e0244624. Online ahead of print.PI: K.C. RiceNote: From the abstract: “Previous studies have shown decreased microbial diversity in astronaut gut microbiomes during spaceflight, raising potential health concerns. Enterobacter cloacae, a commensal member of the human gastrointestinal tract microbiota, has the potential to cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. However, little is known about how E. cloacae cells adapt to extreme environments such as microgravity, and whether this bacterium is of medical concern for astronauts during long-term spaceflight missions, as astronaut immune systems are compromised by microgravity. To this end, E. cloacae growth and proteomic profiles were obtained from high aspect ratio vessel (HARV) cultures grown in the rotary cell culture system (RCCS) in three orientations: low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG), normal gravity (NG; oxygenation membrane on bottom), and inverted normal gravity (INV; oxygenation membrane on top).” This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.7
   
   Funding: “This study was supported by the Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC), and funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by Cooperative Agreement number 80NSSC20M0093 (M.J.F.), UCF01-0000381921 (M.J.F.), and NASA grant 80NSSC21K0601 (K.C.R.).”
3. Williams NR, Sisk MR, Lampton TP, Justiniano Y-AV, Harris SW, Higgins CM, Hooda ZA, Parello GZ, DeSilva AE, Cassilly CD, Bray MH, Liles MR.Solid rocket motor insulation adhesives with sporicidal activity promote planetary protection for deep space missions.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 May;45:81-90.Note: From the abstract: “To prevent microbial contamination of extraterrestrial biospheres, NASA has established planetary protection requirements for spacecraft bioburden reduction. For missions to land on the icy moons of the outer planets, solid rocket motors (SRM) commonly used as de-orbit and braking stages are of particular concern for planetary protection since microbial contamination may occur during spacecraft manufacturing and assembly and debris from the SRM can spread over large portions of the planetary surface after impact. In concept spacecraft designs for deep space missions, certain SRM regions are not expected to reach temperatures sufficient for sterilization prior to landing on Europa’s icy and potentially viable surface. This study evaluated the antimicrobial properties of candidate primers, adhesives, and insulations commonly used in SRM designs.”
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 2.9
   
   Funding: “This research was supported from a ROSES grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). …”
4. Cauthorn G, Crisman K, Boles HO, Johnson CM, Subramanian A, Barker R, Cuthbert E, Yamada M, Sato Y, Chisuga H, Fukuoka S, Kagami S, Tada C, Park S, Kunihiro K, Mitsukawa K, Ueki A, Nozawa S, Delioglu G.Japanese oblate film as a novel method for seed handling and activation in microgravity.Gravit Space Res. 2025 Apr 15;13(1):30-8.PI: C.M. Johnson, NASA Postdoctoral Program FellowshipNote: From the abstract: “In-situ food production for long-duration space missions is currently reliant on crop production, with plants grown from seed serving as a potential source of nutrient supplementation to astronaut diets. Microgravity presents significant challenges to seed handling, growth system integration, and storage. A primary concern is the generation of environmental debris and particulates. This will require extended-duration spaceflight missions to incorporate innovative and reliable methods to handle and prepare seeds for cultivation. This study investigates the potential of Japanese oblate film, a thin, starch-based, edible film traditionally used to wrap ill-tasting powdered medicines, as a method for seed handling in space environments.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 2.0
   
   Funding: “This work was supported by funding from the NASA North Dakota Space Grant Consortium. The author extends gratitude to the University of North Dakota Space Studies Department. Special thanks to the NASA Kennedy Space Center Crop Production Team for their invaluable guidance and continued support.”
5. Cortez JR, Migaud ME.Chemical versus enzymatic nucleic acid modifications and genomic stability.DNA. 2025 Apr 9;5(2):19.PI: M.E. MigaudNote: This article is part of Special Issue “Epigenetics and Environmental Exposures” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/dna/special_issues/K97FFKLCV0) and may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: Not available for this journal
   
   Funding: “The work was supported through the Internal Grant Program of the F. P. Whiddon College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, and the Translational Research Institute through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A.”
6. Flickinger KL, Weissman AJ, Guyette FX, DeMaio R, Jonsson A, Wu V, Monteleone JL, Zurowski EA, Birabaharan J, Buysse DJ, Empey PE, Nolin TD, West RE, Callaway CW.Sustained metabolic reduction and hypothermia in humans.PLoS One. 2025 Apr 21;20(4):e0321117.PI: K.L. Flickinger, C.W. CallawayNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: Not available for this journal
   
   Funding: “…This work was supported by NASA grant NNX16AO69A to the Translational Research Institute in Space Health at Baylor College of Medicine JB, PEE, TDN, REW National Institutes of Health grant S10OD028540 for Small Molecule Biomarker Core: TSQ Altis LC-MS/MS, and for all authors National Institutes of Health grant UL1TR001857 the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute for ‘Pitt+Me.’ …”
7. Kolokotronis SO, Bhattacharya C, Panja R, Quate I, Seibert M, Jorgensen E, Mason CE, Hénaff EM.Metagenomic interrogation of urban Superfund site reveals antimicrobial resistance reservoir and bioremediation potential.J Appl Microbiol. 2025 Apr 16;136(4):xaf076.PI: C.E. MasonNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 3.2
   
   Funding: “E.M.H. thanks NYU Tandon School of engineering for startup funds to her lab which supported CB’s salary as well as data storage and time on the NYU High Performance Computing cluster. C.E.M. thanks Igor Tulchinsky and the WorldQuant Foundation, Bill Ackman and Olivia Flatto and the Pershing Square Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC24K0728), the US National Institutes of Health (R01AI125416, R21AI129851, R21EB031466, R01AI151059, and U01DA053941) for support with sediment sample collection, DNA extraction as well as data storage and computing at WCM. S.-O.K. thanks the US National Science Foundation (1758800, 1754995) and the US National Institutes of Health (R01MH125246) for support for core sample collection and DNA extraction. All sequencing was supported by funds from C.E.M.”
8. Mazhari F, Regberg AB, Castro CL, LaMontagne MG.Resolution of MALDI-TOF compared to whole genome sequencing for identification of Bacillus species isolated from cleanrooms at NASA Johnson Space Center.Front Microbiol. 2025 Apr 8;16:1499516.Note: From the abstract: “Bacteria are frequently isolated from surfaces in cleanrooms, where astromaterials are curated, at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). Bacillus species are of particular interest because endospores can endure extreme conditions. Current monitoring programs at JSC rely on culturing microbes from swabs of surfaces followed by identification by 16S rRNA sequencing and the VITEK 2 Compact bacterial identification system. These methods have limited power to resolve Bacillus species. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is the current standard for bacterial identification but is expensive and time-consuming. Matrix-assisted laser desorption – time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), provides a rapid, low-cost, method of identifying bacterial isolates and has a higher resolution than 16S rRNA sequencing, particularly for Bacillus species; however, few studies have compared this method to WGS for identification of Bacillus species isolated from cleanrooms.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
   
   Journal Impact Factor: 4.0
   
   Funding: “The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Faculty Research Support Fund at UHCL (No. A09S19) and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.”

Other papers of interest:

1. Archer JW, Large MJ, Bolst D, Sakata D, Tran H, Chatzipapas KP, Ivantchenko V, Rosenfeld AB, Incerti S, Brown JMC, Guatelli S.A multiscale nanodosimetric study of GCR protons and alpha particles in the organs of astronauts on the lunar surface.Radiat Phys Chem. 2025 Apr;229:112448.Note: From the abstract: “This study demonstrates a complete simulation pipeline for the assessment of early DNA damage in astronauts in the space radiation environment.”
2. Kang Y, Zhang Y, Chen J, Yu Q, Li B, Wang Y, Dong S.Alterations in physiological and biochemical characteristics of Prunus sibirica seedlings raised from spaceflight seeds.PLoS One. 2025 Apr 24;20(4):e0321147.Note: From the abstract: “The aim was to explore the alterations in growth traits, physiological and biochemical characteristics of Prunus sibirica seedlings raised from spaceflight seeds. The seedlings cultivated by the ‘Shenzhou XII’ spacecraft carrying the seeds of superior clones of P. sibirica were used to observe their growth traits and determine physiological indicators. The results showed that plant height of Prunus sibirica seedlings raised from spaceflight seeds increased by 18-34% and internode length increased by 8-26%, but the number of primary branches, secondary branches, and leaves showed no significant change compared to the ground control.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
3. Fang Y, Hao W, Xiong Z.On-orbit 3D bioprinting for tumor modeling in space.Trends Biotechnol. 2025 Apr 15. Online ahead of print.
4. Henke M, Scharmann F, Rosari M.Space applications in crewed underwater research stations.J Space Saf Eng. 2025 Apr 12. Online ahead of print.Note: From the abstract: “With the new era of manned space travel to the surfaces of other celestial bodies, there is also a need for new simulation possibilities. The advantages of using underwater habitats for this purpose have often been discussed. However, previous facilities such as former habitats, space analogue missions, and training pools have various shortcomings in relation to the new requirements. With a new generation of underwater habitats, these shortcomings can be eliminated by changing the design and using current technologies. Here, we report on the similarities and limitations between extreme environments in space and underwater.”
5. Liang R, Gao J, Liu X, Li X, Chang H, Yang R, Yang J, Ming D.Regulatory measures for mitigating physical and mental health impacts in aerospace environment: A systematic review.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 Aug;46:106-14. Review.
6. Barratt MR, Araujo SB.Space adaptation, clinical issues, and countermeasures.In: Gradwell D, Wilkinson E, eds. Ernsting’s Aviation and Space Medicine. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2025. p. 351-74.
7. Molodtsova DV, Strádi A, Artamonov AA, Kurdanov HA, Konstantinova NA, Ivanov OG, Shurshakov VA, Inozemtsev KO.The microwave electromagnetic background as measured onboard the International Space Station.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 May;45:1-6.Note: From the abstract: “This paper presents an attempt to experimentally evaluate the actual radiofrequency exposure levels onboard the International Space Station in terms of absorbed energy (power) density, which is essential for the confirmation of crewed spaceflight safety. The measurements were made with the use of compact stand-alone electromagnetic dosimeters, capable for recording the absorbed energy (power) density in the frequency band 0.8-8.0 GHz once per minute.”
8. Saniotis A, Henneberg M, Mohammadi K.Evolutionary medicine and bioastronautics: An innovative approach in addressing adverse mental health effects to astronauts during long term space missions.Front Physiol. 2025 Apr 23;16:1558625.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Exploring Frontiers: Astroparticle, Space Science and Public Health for Future Crewed Space Missions” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/63490/exploring-frontiers-astroparticle-space-science-and-public-health-for-future-crewed-space-missions/overview). The Research Topic also includes articles from previous Current Awareness Lists #993 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.862598, #1,027 https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.949432, #1,049 https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1117811, #1,124 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1486767, #1,127 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1482860, and #1,137 https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1538421. This article may be obtained online without charge.
9. Wilson L, Nielsen K, Caspasso-Villanueva S, O’Brien T, Hefner LA, Slick P, Petty L, Dienna R, Castillo H, Chavez A.Characterization of virulence-related phenotypes of Candida parapsilosis and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa isolated from the International Space Station (ISS).Life Sci Space Res. 2025 May;45:16-24.
10. Chang HV, Kim G, Kim K-S, Britten RA.Reduced set-shifting processing speed in male rats following low dose (10 cGy) proton exposure.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 May;45:137-42.
11. Paladugu P, Kumar R, Hage T, Vaja S, Sekhar T, Watson S, Sporn K, Waisberg E, Ong J, Vadhera AS, Masalkhi M, Lee R, Gowda C, Jagadeesan R, Zaman N, Tavakkoli A.Perspective: Leveraging lower body negative pressure for enhanced outcomes in orthopedic arthroplasty-Insights from NASA’s bone health research.Life Sci Space Res. 2025 Apr 24. Online ahead of print.Note: This is a position/opinion paper.
12. Liao B, Feng T, Hou S, Liu H, Feng J.Simulated microgravity confines and fragments the straw-based lignocellulose degrading microbial community.Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Apr 16:e0246624. Online ahead of print.Note: 2D clinostats were used to simulate microgravity in this study. This article may be obtained online without charge.
13. Wang D, Gao Y, Tan Y, Li N, Li X, Li J, Pan Y, Zhao X, Yan M, Wang Y.lncRNA Ubr5 promotes BMSCs apoptosis and inhibits their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in weightless bone loss.Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Apr 1;13:1543929.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Aging, Cellular Senescence in Bone and Joint Diseases” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/63710/aging-cellular-senescence-in-bone-and-joint-diseases/articles) and may be obtained online without charge.
14. Wang H-Q, Zhao X-Y, Tang Z, Huang X-Y, Wang P, Zhang W, Zhang Y, Luan S, Zhao F-J.Mechanosensing antagonizes ethylene signaling to promote root gravitropism in rice.Nature Comm. 2025 Apr 19;16(1):3712.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
15. Wei W, Zhang Z, Li B, Fu Z, Liu J.Deciphering the role of lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network in disuse osteoporosis: Insights from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under simulated microgravity.Front Med (Lausanne). 2025;12:1444165.Note: From the introduction: “While space exploration captivates our imagination, it also presents a spectrum of short- and long-term health challenges for astronauts. One of the most critical concerns is disuse osteoporosis (DOP), a condition characterized by accelerated bone loss due to mechanical unloading in microgravity environments. Astronauts can experience a bone mass reduction of up to 2% per month during spaceflight, equivalent to more than a year’s worth of bone loss in postmenopausal women. Disuse osteoporosis (DOP), arising from skeletal mechanical unloading, underscores the importance of investigating bone health under microgravity conditions.” This article may be obtained online without charge.

Astrobiology, space biology, space medicine, microgravity,