Principal Investigator(s):
- Siva A. Vanapalli, Texas Tech University
Overview:
This investigation uses roundworms to understand how microgravity changes the trillions of microbes living inside hosts and how those changes may affect health. Roundworms are ideal for this research because they share key genetic and biological similarities with humans.
Science objectives:
- Analyze how microgravity affects microbial communities living inside roundworm hosts
- Track changes in both the microbiomes and the host organisms during spaceflight
- Determine how different microbial communities influence host health and biological processes in space
Potential Earth applications:
- Could lead to new therapies for treating microbiome-related diseases and conditions for patients on Earth
- May inform development of targeted interventions for microbiome imbalance
Potential space applications:
- Could lead to countermeasures that protect astronaut health during long-duration missions
- Aims to inform medical protocols for maintaining crew microbiome health on Moon and Mars missions
- May contribute to scientific understanding of how spaceflight environments affect human-microbe relationships
Related Resources
More about CBIOMES
C. elegans Biological Investigation on Microbiome Effect in Space
Biological & Physical Sciences Division
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NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomenon under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth.
