ISS National Lab-Sponsored Investigation Aims to Expand Genes in Space™ Toolkit on Station

CAPE CANAVERAL (FL), January 24, 2024 – For nearly a decade, Genes in Space™ has challenged students to develop spaceflight experiments that use biotechnology to address spaceflight challenges. Founded by Boeing and miniPCRbio, the program relies on distinct tools that can be used individually or in conjunction with one another to carry out research investigations on the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station). To provide student researchers with even more options and expand the capabilities of the 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. toolkit, Boeing is partnering with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration and the ISS National Laboratory® to launch an investigation to the space station to test protocols that can be used as a foundation for future student Genes in Space investigations.

The investigation will fly on Northrop Grumman’s 20^th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-20) mission, slated to launch to the space station on January 29, 2024. Instead of launching samples that will be analyzed in space, the investigation focuses on collecting samples directly from the space station and then analyzing those samples in orbit.

To that end, crew members on station will collect samples from the ISS water recovery system (WRS) and leverage existing onboard Genes in Space microbiology tools to conduct an end-to-end characterization of the microbial community within the WRS. The crew members will use miniPCR and MinION for DNA extraction and sequencing, along with the fluorescence viewer to achieve the first accurate and complete genomic profile of the WRS.

“A true assessment of the WRS has never been conducted,” said Sarah Wallace, a NASA microbiologist. “Typically, samples are collected in space and returned to the ground for analysis, which does not provide a true characterization of the microbial community.”

According to Wallace, previous investigations by this team have utilized a very targeted based sequencing approach, but this investigation aims to move beyond that. “We’re taking a true metagenomic approach with this investigation, where we’re sequencing any DNA that we can capture,” said Wallace.

To do that, the miniPCR device will help ensure the material is in a form the sequencer can recognize. The MinION tool will then sequence all the DNA in the samples. “This method will give us a new tool to use and allow us to collect as much information as possible,” said Wallace. “Therefore, this method will give us all the information about the microbial community within various areas within the WRS.”

Wallace says the investigation will focus on the WRS because by the time samples are returned to Earth, there are only a few organisms detected, typically in higher quantities, which is not an accurate characterization. “We know that we probably started with a pretty diverse microbial community, but over time, one or two things grow in the sample return bags and basically take over—all the other organisms are consumed or outcompeted and die out,” she said. “This is really beautiful science because it will help us understand what we have on the ISS and also help us to inform future spaceflight systems, like those for use on the Moon and Mars.”

Boeing’s Scott Copeland, co-founder of Genes in Space, said, “Students who participate in the Genes in Space competition have an opportunity to contribute significantly to our collective understanding of space biology. We are excited to collaborate with NASA to test additional protocols that can be offered to student researchers in future Genes in Space competitions.”

Additionally, Wallace says this investigation will enable students applying to the Genes in Space program to propose new and different ways to use the miniPCR technology beyond traditional amplifications. “Genes in Space is just pure science for the students,” she said. “And this investigation will expand on that.”

Applications for the current Genes in Space competition opened on January 10, 2024. To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit the Genes in Space website.

The ISS National Lab and NASA will host a prelaunch science webinar on January 26 at 1 p.m. to discuss a variety of research investigations slated to launch on NG-20. For more information and to register, please visit our webinar advisory.

Download a high-resolution for this release: miniPCR onboard the ISS

Media Contact:       
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (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).) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.  Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent 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. research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.