NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission Gears Up for Space Station Research

NASA · July 15

A host of scientific investigations await the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission during their long-duration expedition aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, are set to study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.

Here are details on some of the research scheduled during the Crew-11 mission:

Making more stem cells

This image has two side-by-side panels. On the left are irregular, translucent cells with textured surfaces in varying shades of gray and white and scattered irregular particles. On the right are spherical cells with textured surfaces and defined edges, with more circular scattered particles around them.

Cultures of stem cells grown in 2D on Earth, left, and as 3D spheres in simulated microgravity on Earth.

BioServe

A stem cell investigation called StemCellEx-IP1 evaluates using microgravity to produce large numbers of induced pluripotent stem cells. Made by reprogramming skin or blood cells, these stem cells can transform into any type of cell in the body and are used in regenerative medicine therapies for many diseases. However, producing enough cells on the ground is a challenge.

Researchers plan to use the microgravity environment aboard the space station to demonstrate whether generating 1,000 times more cells is possible and whether these cells are of higher quality and better for clinical use than those made on Earth. If proven, this could significantly improve future patient outcomes.

“This type of stem cell research is a chance to find treatments and maybe even cures for diseases that currently have none,” said Tobias Niederwieser of BioServe Space Technologies, which developed the investigation. “This represents an incredible potential to make life here on Earth better for all of us. We can take skin or blood cells from a patient, convert them into stem cells, and produce custom cell-therapy with little risk for rejection, as they are the person’s own cells.”

Alternative to antibiotics

Genes in Space-12 student investigators Isabella Chuang, left, and Julia Gross, middle, with mentor Kayleigh Ingersoll Omdahl.

Genes in Space

Genes in Space is a series of competitions in which students in grades 7 through 12 design DNA experiments that are flown to the space station. Genes in Space-12 examines the effects of microgravity on interactions between certain bacteria and bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Bacteriophages already are used to treat bacterial infections on Earth.

“Boeing and miniPCR bio co-founded this competition to bring real-world scientific experiences to the classroom and promote molecular biology investigations on the space station,” said Scott Copeland of Boeing, and co-founder of Genes in Space. “This

investigation could establish a foundation for using these viruses to treat bacterial infections in space, potentially decreasing the dependence on antibiotics.”

“Previous studies indicate that bacteria may display increased growth rates and virulence in space, while the antibiotics used to combat them may be less effective,” said Dr. Ally Huang, staff scientist at miniPCR bio. “Phages produced in space could have profound implications for human health, microbial control, and the sustainability of long-duration remote missions. Phage therapy tools also could revolutionize how we manage bacterial infections and microbial ecosystems on Earth.”

Edible organisms

Two square, clear plastic bags are taped to a rectangular tray covered with alternating purple and pink stripes. The bag on the left contains a purple liquid and the bag on the right a pink liquid.

A purple, pre-incubation BioNutrients-3 bag, left, and a pink bag, right, which has completed incubation, on a purple and pink board used for comparison.

NASA

Some vitamins and nutrients in foods and supplements lose their potency during prolonged storage, and insufficient intake of even a single nutrient can lead to serious diseases, such as a vitamin C deficiency, causing scurvy. The BioNutrients-3 experiment builds on previous investigations looking at ways to produce on-demand nutrients in space using genetically engineered organisms that remain viable for years. These include yogurt and a yeast-based beverage made from yeast strains previously tested aboard station, as well as a new, engineered co-culture that produces multiple nutrients in one sample bag.

“BioNutrients-3 includes multiple food safety features, including pasteurization to kill microorganisms in the sample and a demonstration of the feasibility of using a sensor called E-Nose that simulates an ultra-sensitive nose to detect pathogens,” said Kevin Sims, project manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

Another food safety feature is a food-grade pH indicator to track bacterial growth.

“These pH indicators help the crew visualize the progress of the yogurt and kefir samples,” Sims said. “As the organisms grow, they generate lactic acid, which lowers the pH and turns the indicator pink.”

The research also features an investigation of yogurt passage, which seeds new cultures using a bit of yogurt from a finished bag, much like maintaining a sourdough bread starter. This method could sustain a culture over multiple generations, eliminating concerns about yogurt’s shelf life during a mission to the Moon or Mars while reducing launch mass.

Understanding cell division

Multiple green cells, roughly the shape of corn kernels, form a circular cluster in the center of the image. Two individual cells are visible just below the cluster and another to its left.

Cells of green algae dividing.

University of Toyama

The JAXA Plant Cell Division investigation examines how microgravity affects cell division in green algae and a strain of cultured tobacco cells. Cell division is a fundamental element of plant growth, but few studies have examined it in microgravity.

“The tobacco cells divide frequently, making the process easy to observe,” said Junya Kirima of JAXA. “We are excited to reveal the effects of the space environment on plant cell division and look forward to performing time-lapse live imaging of it aboard the space station.”

Understanding this process could support the development of better methods for growing plants for food in space, including on the Moon and Mars. This investigation also could provide insight to help make plant production systems on Earth more efficient.

For nearly 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and conducting critical research for the benefit of humanity and our home planet. Space station research supports the future of human spaceflight as NASA looks toward deep space missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign and in preparation for future human missions to Mars, as well as expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit and beyond.

Learn more about the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

Keep Exploring