Student Investigation Studying Telomere Lengthening in Space to Fly on SpaceX CRS-28
Pristine Onuoha logs data during a pilot run of her experiment.
Media Credit: Genes in Space
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), June 1, 2023 – Much like shoelaces have plastic tips on them to prevent fraying, our chromosomes are capped with structures called telomeres—sections of DNA that protect the chromosomes from damage. These protective caps typically shorten as we age, which is associated with aging-related disease. However, research has shown that telomeres lengthen during spaceflight, but shrink when astronauts return to Earth. To better understand why this happens and what role it plays in the aging process, high school student Pristine Onuoha turned to the 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. environment of space.
As part of an investigation supported by the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory, Onuoha designed an experiment to test a method that could measure telomere lengthening in space. Her project, which is part of the Genes in Space™ program—an annual student research competition founded by Boeing and miniPCR bio to develop experiments that use biotechnology to address spaceflight challenges—is launching on SpaceX’s upcoming 28th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the orbiting laboratory.
Pristine poses with the miniPCR, one of the tools that will be used to carry out her experiment aboard the ISS.
Media Credit: 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.
“I thought that if we can understand how and why astronauts age differently in space, that it could have implications for health care here on Earth,” Onuoha said. “The experiment also has the potential to help research involved in detecting genetic deletions or insertions in organisms in space, which is beneficial since being in space is known to accelerate one’s risk for developing genetic mutations.”
In her project, Onuoha started out trying to understand the mechanisms behind telomere lengthening, which could improve our understanding of aging, cancer development, and how the body heals itself. But soon, she broadened her focus to developing a means of measuring DNA length in space, which could expand the capability of the space station by enabling a broader range of investigations.
Onuoha’s experiment will utilize two pieces of hardware in the Genes in Space™ tool kit on station: a miniPCR machine, which amplifies DNA through a process called polymerase chain reaction, and a fluorescence viewer that is designed to help visualize certain biomolecules.
“As the concentration of DNA increases through this amplification, the brighter it should fluoresce in our viewer,” she said. “We hypothesize that the longer a strand of DNA is, the brighter it will fluoresce, which will help researchers establish differences in DNA.”
SpaceX CRS-28 is targeted for launch no earlier than June 3 at 12:35 p.m. EDT. This mission will include multiple ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads. To learn more about all ISS National Lab-sponsored research on this mission, please visit our launch page.
Download a high-resolution photo for this release: Pristine Onuoha
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 Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve 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 space station 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, Inc. (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 NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity 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 issnationallab.org.
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