For centuries, humans have mined materials to build the tools we use every day, from batteries and cell phones to airplanes and refrigerators. While the process of obtaining these important […]
Microgravity
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Tardigrades
Astronauts Initiate Tardigrade Experiment on ISS
On July 13, 2021, the Cell Science-04 (CS-04) mission’s first science operation was successfully conducted onboard the ISS. The on-orbit activities included setup of the Life Sciences Glovebox and the […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations, Tardigrades
Using Tardigrades to Identify Biological Countermeasures to Stress during Multigenerational Spaceflight
For most organisms, the stresses associated with spaceflight cause a variety of detrimental health effects. To foster a safe and productive long-term human presence in space, therapies and countermeasures to […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
BioAsteroid Payload On Orbit
Inside one of the containers of this 40-cm-across miniature laboratory in orbit, a battle is set to start between asteroid-like fragments and rock-hungry microbes, to probe their use for space […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Comets and Asteroids, Commercial & Private Sector, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Missions & Hardware, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
Microbes To Demonstrate Biomining Of Asteroid Material Aboard The Space Station
As humanity moves closer to the possibility of living and working millions of miles from Earth on planets like Mars, scientists are looking beyond our planet at how to acquire […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Space Stations
A 'Hubble Space Telescope' To Study Multiple Genome Sequences
A new tool that simultaneously compares 1.4 million genetic sequences can classify how species are related to each other at far larger scales than previously possible. Described today in Nature […]
Posted inAstropharmacy / Biotechnology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Life Support Systems, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Press Release, Space Stations
Bacteria on the International Space Station Are Adapting to Survive, Not to Harm
A new Northwestern University study has found that — despite its seemingly harsh conditions — the ISS is not causing bacteria to mutate into dangerous, antibiotic-resistant superbugs. While the team […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microgravity, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Press Release, Space Life Science, Tricorders & Sensors
Tricorder Tech: Using A MinION Nanopore DNA Sequencer In Orbit
Expedition 56 Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold prepares amplified DNA collected from microbes living aboard the International Space Station for sequencing using the Biomolecule Sequencer.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Press Release, Radiation, Space Stations
Algae Survive Heat, Cold and Cosmic Radiation Outside of the Space Station
In a long-term experiment on the International Space Station, Fraunhofer researchers studied how the extreme conditions in space affect algae. Fraunhofer conducted this experiment in close cooperation with German and […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Gravitational Biology, Microgravity
Fruit Fly Immunity Fails with Fungus After Spaceflight
In a study published in PLOS ONE, researchers led by Deborah Kimbrell, Ph.D., at UC Davis and their collaborators, studied how microorganisms may alter fruit flies’ immunity in space and […]