Astronauts Initiate Student Experiments for Genes in Space
Media Credit: NASA
On April 11, NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration Astronaut and Flight Engineer Ricky Arnold initiated the first of two student experiments that won the 2017 Genes in SpaceAn annual national research competition for students in grades 7 through 12 to design pioneering biotechnology experiments that are conducted by astronauts on the space station. The program is funded by Boeing and miniPCR bio and supported by the ISS National Laboratory® and New England BioLabs. competition. The high school students who designed the winning projects are Elizabeth Reizis from New York and Sophia Chen from Washington. The experiments flew on SpaceX CRS-14 as part of the Genes in Space-5 payload.
The Space to Ground video series from NASA’s Johnson Space Center gives weekly updates about what’s happening on the International Space Station. The April 13 update features the Genes in Space-5 experiments.
The Genes in Space program, founded by Boeing and miniPCR and supported by CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes)., holds an annual student research competition in which students in grades 7 through 12 propose DNA experiments that use the unique environment of the ISSInternational Space Station to solve real-world problems. The winning proposals are developed into flight projects and launched to the ISS.
High school students Elizabeth Reizis (left) and Sophia Chen tied for first place in the 2017 Genes in Space competition.
Elizabeth Reizis’ experiment tests a method to study how microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. affects the immune system, which has implications for astronauts’ ability to fight disease. Sophia Chen’s experiment tests a technique for measuring genetic changes linked to radiation exposure, which may affect astronauts’ risk of cancer. Both experiments also have applications for medical science on Earth.
Reizis and Chen traveled to Florida to attend the launch on April 2, but they didn’t get to watch it from the VIP location as planned. With their bus stuck in a four-hour traffic jam, they watched the launch from the highway!
For more details on the Genes in Space-5 experiments, check out the ISS National Lab blog.
The 2018 Genes in Space competition is open for submissions through April 20, 2018! Learn how to apply.