NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,206 2 July 2026 (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:

Khodadad CLM, Spern CJ, Hummerick ME, Gooden JL, Morales CJ, Wheeler RM, Melendez O, Morrow R, Wetzel J, Zhang Y.Microbial community characterization of multi-crop growouts in the XROOTS aeroponic-hydroponic system on the International Space Station.Front Microbiomes. 2026 Jun 14;5:1779816.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 3.0

Funding: “This work was funded by the NASA Biological and Physical Sciences Division (BPS) for the analyses, and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) for the ISS sample collection and return operations. The XROOTS development and hardware demonstration is funded by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) and HEOMD. This work was conducted under LASSO II contract with NASA Kennedy Space Center.”
La Barbera G, Stanstrup J, Zwart SR, Smith SM, Roager HM, Dragsted LO.Longitudinal metabolomics profiles reveal increased gut microbial protein fermentation during spaceflight.Nat Commun. 2026 Jun 29. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 18.1

Funding: “These original studies were funded by the Human Health Countermeasures Element of the NASA Human Research Program.”
Brojakowska A, Bisserier M, Eskandari A, Jagana V, Khlgatian MK, Arakelyan A, Fogarty J, Kovacic JC, Goukassian DA.Cardiovascular risks and hazards associated with deep space exploration.Commun Med (Lond). 2026 Jun 23;6:354. Review.PI: D.A. GoukassianNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 7.4

Funding: “This work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Human Research Program, grant no. 80NSSC19K1079 (formerly, 80NSSC18K0921) to D.A.G. and 25FAST-1F004 funded by the Higher Education and Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Cultureand Sport of the Republic of Armenia to D.A.G. and A.A.T.”
Gew J, Hyder YF, Grech O, Brunstetter T, Tarver W, Mason SS, Gibson CR, Polk JD, Schneider VS, van Baalen M, Mitchell JL, Yiangou A, Mollan SP, Sinclair AJ.Spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS): Expert consensus on diagnosis and management.Eye (Lond). 2026 Jun 30. Review.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 4.4

Funding: T. Brunstetter, W. Tarver, and M. van Baalen are affiliated with NASA Johnson Space Center. J.D. Polk and V.S. Schneider are affiliated with NASA Headquarters.
Hayslip N, Kim J, Ashiqueali SA, Zhu X, Hussein R, Alam MT, Garcia DN, Zanini BM, Kubik A, Allen N, Blaber EA, Siddiqi SS, Mansoor MAM, Schisler JC, Mason CE, Beheshti A, Masternak MM.Space radiation and microgravity as models of accelerated aging: Modulation of hepatic miRNA-TGF-β networks associated with senescence and fibrosis.Geroscience. 2026 Jun 23.Note: Hindlimb unloading study. This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 6.0

Funding: “This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Award Number (FAIN): 2317758(MMM), Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program of the Florida Department of Health 24A12 (MMM), and the National Science Centre, Poland UMO-2023/51/B/NZ5/00498 (MMM). A.B. was supported by NASA Research announcement NNH22ZDA001N-SBR ‘E.9 Space Biology Research Studies.'”
Chlebek C, Bussberg V, Narain NR, Kiebish MA, Tseng YH, Rosen CJ, Lynes MD.Baseline serum metabolites predict fractures in individuals who were Black and had type 2 diabetes.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2026 Jun 1;17:1777636.PI: C. ChlebekNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 5.7

Funding: “This work was supported in part by U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01DK122808 and R01DK102898 (to Y-HT), P30DK036836 (to Joslin Diabetes Center’s Diabetes Research Center), and by US Army Medical Research grant W81XWH-17-1-0428 (to Y-HT). MLwassupported by NIH fellowships (T32DK007260, F32DK102320 and K01DK111714). This work was supported by the Translational Research Institute through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A (to CC).”
Kandpal LM, Garcia E, Costine B, Hwang C, Dixit A, Spencer L, Liu T, O’Rourke A, Baek I, Kim M.Hyperspectral imaging reveals early drought stress and associated molecular responses in lettuce for space agriculture.Plant Phenomics. 2026 Sep;8(3):100223.Note: From the abstract: “In NASA’s controlled-environment plant growth systems, early and autonomous detection of crop stress is critical for sustaining food production during long-duration space missions. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has proven effective for early stress detection, yet the molecular processes underlying diagnostically informative spectral signals remain poorly defined. Here, we present a two-stage phenomics-to-molecular framework to evaluate whether hyperspectral signatures associated with early drought detection correspond to coordinated molecular stress responses in lettuce.” This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 8.2

Funding: “This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and NASA Kennedy Space Center through Agreements No. 8042-42000-021-017N.”
Lourette S, Jarmola A, Chathanathil J, Acosta VM, Birdwell AG, Blümler P, Budker D, Carrasco SC, Ivanov TG, Kolkowitz S, Malinovsky VS.Toward a temperature-insensitive composite diamond clock.Phys Rev Applied 2026 Jun 11;25(6):064046.PI: S. KolkowitzNote: This article may be obtained online without charge.

Journal Impact Factor: 4.4

Funding: “S.L., A.J., J.C., and S.C. acknowledge support from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory under Cooperative Agreements No. W911NF-24-2-0050, No. W911NF-24-2-0047, No. W911NF-23-2-0115, and No. W911NF-24-2-0044. V.M.A. acknowledges support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant DOI: 10.37807/GBMF12968) and ARL Award No. W911NF-23-2-0092. S.K. acknowledges support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant DOI: 10.37807/GBMF12966) and NASA Award No. 80NSSC24K1561. This work was supported in part by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Framework Program under the Research and Innovation Action MUQUABIS GA No. 101070546.”

Other papers of interest:

Lange N, Wylęgała F, Bolek B, Sędziak-Marcinek B, Piłat J, Wylęgała E, Wylęgała A.Ophthalmic and visual system changes in human spaceflight: A review of mechanisms, measurement, and countermeasures.J Clin Med. 2026 Jun 11;15(12):4537. Review.Note: This article is part of Special Issue “Progress in Clinical Diagnosis and Therapy in Ophthalmology” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm/special_issues/8P11RAUX11) and may be obtained online without charge.
Yuan J, Liu M, He Z, Li H, Ma L, Zhang Q, Yin Z, Guo P, Yin H.Fictibacillus tiangongensis sp. nov., isolated from the China Space Station.Exp Physiol. 2026 Jun 27. Early access article.
Bailey DM, Normand H, Quarck G, Clement G, Bessot N, Langeard A, Etard O, Freret T, Ciuha U, Friedl-Werner A, Brauns K, Mekjavic I, Stahn AC, Denise P.SpaceMed: Immersive interdisciplinary academic training for the future of human space exploration.Exp Physiol. 2026 Jun 27. Early access article.Note: This article is an Editorial and may be obtained online without charge.
Du Z, Jing H, Li H, Guo X.Data-driven surrogate modeling for fast reachability envelope prediction of direct abort orbits for crewed lunar exploration missions.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Nov;248:983-1001.
Nezami A, Ferre ER.Space Oddity: Microgravity as a neurocognitive catalyst for transformative consciousness experiences.Front Psychol. 2026 Jun 11;17:1769177.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Gravitational Influence on Human Cognition and Behavior: Emerging Research” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/66872/gravitational-influence-on-human-cognition-and-behavior-emerging-research/articles). The Research Topic also includes articles from previous Current Awareness Lists #1,186 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1713354, #1,187 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1735072, and #1,201 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1748118. This article may be obtained online without charge.
Minoretti P.Cleared for launch: Pre-flight medical assessment in the commercial spaceflight era.Cureus. 2026 May 28;18(5):e109824. Review.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
Mishriki S, Gupta T, Sahu RP, Puri IK.3D cell printing and manipulation with magnetic bioinks.Biomedicines. 2026 Jun 9;14(6):1311. Review.Note: From the abstract: “Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models more faithfully reproduce native tissue organization and function than conventional two-dimensional systems, yet many existing bioprinting methods depend on scaffolds, complex instrumentation, or limited control over cell positioning. This review examines magnetic bioinks as a versatile platform for contactless 3D cell manipulation and biofabrication.” This article is part of Special Section “Trends in 3D Printing Processes for Biomedical Field: Opportunities and Challenges (2nd Edition)” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biomedicines/special_issues/A1G5N21YV5) and may be obtained online without charge.
Cui J, Chen Z, Yan S, Zhao L, Degermendzhi AG, Liu H, Fu Y.Simulated microgravity weakens wheat root microbial network against pathogensnpj Microgravity. 2026 Jun 25. Early access article.Note: A random positioning machine was used in this study to simulate microgravity. This article may be obtained online without charge.
Laván D, Argüelles N, Rea R, Morales J, Montes S, Huaman D, Lluncor A, Moyano J, Peña M, Herencia-Reyes V, Guerra A, Calderón G, Vela-Ruiz JM, Gallo A.Chronic military stress and glandular epithelial tumor biology: An integrative neuroendocrine-inflammatory framework with insights from microgravity gene discovery.Front Oncol. 2026 Jun 8;16:1817973.Note: This article is part of Research Topic “Targeting Stress Response Pathways & Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Cancer” (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/71509/targeting-stress-response-pathways-metabolic-vulnerabilities-in-cancer) and may be obtained online without charge.
Wang W, Peng X, Luo Q, Song G.Simulated microgravity suppresses proline biosynthesis in skin fibroblasts to impair skin structure.Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2026 Jun 25;1-15.Note: Hindlimb unloading study.
Law NY, Ahmed Yahia K, Gill-Lussier J, Falaki A, Tonkov H, Abbariki F, Faust A, Morais JA, Hajj-Boutros G, Barthélemy D.The impact of 14-day head-down bedrest with or without an exercise countermeasure on standing balance control: A randomized controlled trial.npj Microgravity. 2026 Jun 26. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
Rabineau J, Al-Darwish F, Mulder E, Coolen BF, Hoffmann F, Hautemann D, Tank J, Migeotte PF, Strijkers GJ, Wüst RCI.Apical hypercontractility mitigates impaired diastolic filling and lower intraventricular haemodynamic forces in human bedrest.Exp Physiol. 2026 Jun 29. Early access article.Note: This article may be obtained online without charge.
Tripoli F, Ridolfi L, Romanelli M, Rabbito R, Roatta S, Scarsoglio S.Sex-based differences in central and cerebral hemodynamic responses to lower body negative pressure (LBNP): An experimental study.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2026 Jun 29.Note: From the abstract: “This study investigates acute central, peripheral, and cerebral responses to graded LBNP during exposure to -6° head-down tilt posture (HDT) in 30 subjects.” This article may be obtained online without charge.
Ide S, Schilling N, Lacombe A, Antara RSI, Haddow I.Determining characteristics of the proper interplay between project managers and project technical authorities for effective spacecraft development.Acta Astronaut. 2026 Jun 28. Online ahead of print.Note: From the abstract: “The rapid evolution of space technology, driven by increasing launch capacities, modular spacecraft architectures, and industry-led innovation, is transforming the landscape of space exploration and commercialization. With the rise of high-cadence, heavy-lift launch capabilities, an unprecedented number of spacecraft are being proposed and developed, fueling an accelerated space economy. Despite this, spacececraft development remains constrained by the delicate balance of technical feasibility, schedule pressures, and resource allocation-all of which are jointly managed by Project Managers (PMs) and Project Technical Authorities (PTAs). Any misalignment in these roles can lead to delays in multi-mission launches, financial overruns, and loss of critical mission opportunities. While the PM is responsible for cost, schedule, resource management, and stakeholder coordination, the PTA ensures the technical integrity, feasibility, and compliance of the project. Despite their shared goal of mission success, their differing priorities often lead to conflicts. As the space industry continues to expand, ensuring an effective collaboration between PMs and PTAs will be vital in navigating the increasing complexity of mission planning, risk management, and execution. This research explores the dynamics of the PM-TA relationship in space projects, identifying common areas of conflict.”