Results for “spaceflight analogue” — Page 2

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spaceflight-induced Changes in Microbial Virulence and the Impact to the Host Immune Response

INTRODUCTION Over the past 50 years, many microorganisms have displayed unexpected responses relevant to infectious disease when grown in microgravity and microgravity analogue environments, including changes in stress resistance, biofilm production, antibiotic sensitivity, final cell concentration, gene expression, enhanced host-pathogen interaction, and virulence. In parallel, astronaut studies have characterized a persistent spaceflight-induced dysregulation of the human immune system; consisting of altered leukocyte distribution, reductions in T and NK cell function, altered cytokine profiles, and reactivation of latent herpesviruses. Further, astronauts have some degree of clinical incidence, primarily infectious disease episodes and atopic dermatitis. The impact of the microgravity environment on host-pathogen interactions and potential for clinical disease remains understudied and poorly characterized. SPECIFIC AIMS In this study, the following Specific Aims are being investigated, using the microbial pathogens, Salmonella enterica Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). Aim 1: Characterize the effect of spaceflight analogue culture on microbial pathogenesis-related stress responses and in vitro host-pathogen interactions. Analyses include microbial stress responses as well as colonization and viability following pathogen challenge of three-dimensional (3-D) tissue co-culture models containing immune cells. We specifically selected obligate and opportunistic pathogens that are medically important and have been or are likely to be found aboard spacecraft. Aim 2: Characterize the effect of spaceflight analogue culture on the virulence potential of pathogenic microorganisms. Virulence will be assessed using a mouse model of infection. SIGNIFICANCE The goal of this study is to use spaceflight analogue conditions to gain insight into the breadth of medically-significant International Space Station microorganisms that have altered virulence and the impact of those changes on the immune response of the host. This information will provide critical understanding into the impact of microgravity on potential alterations in microbial virulence and associated infectious disease risk to crew health during spaceflight missions.

C M Ott↗

NASA NTRS2013

Lab-On-Chip Clinorotation System for Live-Cell Microscopy Under Simulated Microgravity

Cells in microgravity are subject to mechanical unloading and changes to the surrounding chemical environment. How these factors jointly influence cellular function is not well understood. We can investigate their role using ground-based analogues to spaceflight, where mechanical unloading is simulated through the time-averaged nullification of gravity. The prevailing method for cellular microgravity simulation is to use fluid-filled containers called clinostats. However, conventional clinostats are not designed for temporally tracking cell response, nor are they able to establish dynamic fluid environments. To address these needs, we developed a Clinorotation Time-lapse Microscopy (CTM) system that accommodates lab-on- chip cell culture devices for visualizing time-dependent alterations to cellular behavior. For the purpose of demonstrating CTM, we present preliminary results showing time-dependent differences in cell area between human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) under modeled microgravity and normal gravity.

Yew, Alvin G.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Lab-On-Chip Clinorotation System for Live-Cell Microscopy Under Simulated Microgravity

Cells in microgravity are subject to mechanical unloading and changes to the surrounding chemical environment. How these factors jointly influence cellular function is not well understood. We can investigate their role using ground-based analogues to spaceflight, where mechanical unloading is simulated through the time-averaged nullification of gravity. The prevailing method for cellular microgravity simulation is to use fluid-filled containers called clinostats. However, conventional clinostats are not designed for temporally tracking cell response, nor are they able to establish dynamic fluid environments. To address these needs, we developed a Clinorotation Time-lapse Microscopy (CTM) system that accommodates lab-on- chip cell culture devices for visualizing time-dependent alterations to cellular behavior. For the purpose of demonstrating CTM, we present preliminary results showing time-dependent differences in cell area between human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) under modeled microgravity and normal gravity.

Yew, Alvin G.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Effects of Simulated Microgravity on a Host-Pathogen System

While it has been shown that decades of astronauts and cosmonauts can suffer from illnesses both during and after spaceflight, the underlying causes are still poorly understood, due in part to the fact that there are so many variables to consider when investigating the human immune system in a complex environment. Invertebrates have become popular models for studying human disease because they are cheap, highly amenable to experimental manipulation, and have innate immune systems with a high genetic similarity to humans. Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have been shown to experience a dramatic shift in immune gene expression following spaceflight, but are still able to fight off infections when exposed to bacteria. However, the common bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens was shown to become more lethal to fruit flies after being cultured in space, suggesting that not only do we need to consider host changes in susceptibility, but also changes in the pathogen itself after spaceflight conditions. Being able to simulate spaceflight conditions in a controlled environment on the ground gives us the ability to not only evaluate the effects of microgravity on the host immune system, but also how the microorganisms that cause immune disorders are being affected by these drastic environmental shifts. In this study, I use a ground-based simulated microgravity environment to examine the genetic changes associated with increased S. marcescens virulence in order to understand how microgravity is affecting this pathogen, as well as how these genetic changes influence and interact with the host immune system. This study will provide us with more directed approaches to studying the effects of spaceflight on human beings, with the ultimate goal of being able to counteract immune dysfunction in future space exploration.

Immunology↗

NASA NTRS2018

Gene Expression of Pathogens in Simulated Microgravity

Extended exposure to radiation and microgravity in space has been linked to astronauts developing chronic diseases upon returning to Earth. The Gram-negative pathogen Serratia marcescens has been shown to potentially cause significant infections in humans and in insect models on Earth. Our recent findings also showed that S. marcescens shows an increase in virulence after a short period of growth in the spaceflight environment, which raises initiatives to find the correlation between space environment and the increased virulence. Because we know that the health of astronauts is immunocompromised in space, it is possible that the combination of increased bacterial virulence and the weakened immune system will cause astronauts to be more susceptible to chronic diseases in extended spaceflight. With 75% of human disease genes being conserved in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, these insects act as an ideal model organism to study the human immune system. The high accessibility, low cost, high rate of reproductivity, and short lifespans of D. melanogaster facilitate efficient, high-quality research that seeks to understand altered virulence of this opportunistic pathogen. In this ground-based study, we will use a rotating wall vessel apparatus to simulate microgravity and determine how pathogenicity changes by evaluating differences in gene expression for S. marcescens between bacteria grown in simulated microgravity conditions and controls. We will compare the results of our findings to gene expression patterns in actual spaceflight samples of S. marcescens grown on the ISS (International Space Station) during a recent validation mission, to see if there are common mechanisms across our simulated microgravity and actual spaceflight microgravity samples that both show increased virulence in the fruit fly. With extended space travel in the foreseeable future, understanding how human physiology will be affected by these different factors will help mitigate risks and deaths.

spaceflight analogue↗

NASA NTRS2018

Effects of Simulated Microgravity on a Host-Pathogen System

While it has been shown that decades of astronauts and cosmonauts suffer from immune disorders both during and after spaceflight, the underlying causes are still poorly understood, due in part to the fact that there are so many variables to consider when investigating the human immune system in a complex environment. Invertebrates have become popular models for studying human disease because they are cheap, highly amenable to experimental manipulation, and have innate immune systems with a high genetic similarity to humans. Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) have been shown to experience a dramatic shift in immune gene expression following spaceflight, but are still able to fight off infections when exposed to bacteria. Furthermore, a recent spaceflight mission showed that flies are more susceptible to infection following exposure to microgravity conditions, compared to ground-reared flies from the same population. Additionally, the common bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens was shown to become more lethal to fruit flies (both space- and ground-reared) after being cultured in space, suggesting that not only do we need to consider host changes in susceptibility, but also changes in the pathogen itself after spaceflight conditions. Being able to simulate spaceflight conditions in a controlled environment on the ground gives us the ability to not only evaluate the effects of microgravity on the host immune system, but also how the microorganisms that cause immune disorders are being affected by these drastic environmental shifts. In this study, I use both spaceflight and ground-based (simulated microgravity) environments to examine the genetic changes associated with increased S. marcescens virulence in order to understand how microgravity is affecting this pathogen, as well as to evaluate how these genetic changes influence and interact with the host immune system. This study will provide us with more directed approaches to studying the effects of spaceflight on human beings, with the ultimate goal of being able to ameliorate human immune dysfunction in future space exploration.

Immunology↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Isolation Standard Measures: A Set of Validated and Feasible Measurements Ensuring Comparability Across Isolation and Confinement Studies

Isolation and confinement studies have been essential to the preparation of crewed long-duration space missions, acting as analogues that facilitate the study of psychological and physiological responses to isolation and confinement. They also serve as opportunities for the development, testing, and validation of countermeasures and coping methods to handle the challenges that arise in such scenarios. Due to the small sample sizes in combination with high inter-individual variability, single isolation campaigns are not always sufficient for obtaining statistically significant scientific findings. To address this issue and improve comparability between different studies, the need for standardized measures to be collected in all future isolation and confinement studies was identified. Additionally, these measures should also be shown to be generally valid, reliable, feasible and acceptable in analogue and spaceflight environments. Standard measures in isolation and confinement studies allow for more direct comparisons of results and synthesis of data across isolation and confinement studies as well as provide an important step toward standard measures in spaceflight. An international expert group with representatives from different space agencies worldwide was brought together to define a core set of standard measures for isolation and confinement studies. This paper provides an overview of the expert group’s recommendations for international standard measures for future isolation and confinement studies, along with subsequent updates coordinated by the International Countermeasures Working Group (ICMWG), which was established as a sub-Working Group under the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG). Additional experts were consulted by the ICMWG partner agencies as required. The collection of the described set of isolation standard measures will provide data on the following parameters: sleep, mood, psychological state, psychophysiology, cognitive performance, stress and the immune system, general health and well-being, team measures, nutritional measures, and environmental conditions. For each measure, recommendations were made about duration and frequency of administration, along with specific implementation recommendations in relation to the duration of the isolation study. The set of isolation standard measures will be reassessed every two years at a minimum to ensure they are up to date and reflect the current state-of-the-art.

Isolation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spaceflight-Induced Changes in Microbial Virulence and the Impact to the Host Immune Response

Many microbial pathogen shave repeatedly exhibited unexpected responses relevant to infectious disease when grown in microgravity and microgravity analogue environments, including changes in final cell concentration, biofilm production, stress resistance, antibiotic sensitivity, gene expression, host-pathogen interactions, and virulence. Notably, the classic foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium displayed increased virulence in animals when cultured in either the spaceflight analogue or true spaceflight environment. Recently, Serratia marcescens also was shown to increase virulence when cultured in the spaceflight environment. In parallel, astronaut studies have characterized a persistent spaceflight-induced dysregulation of the human immune system at multiple levels, which suggests an increased risk of infectious diseases. Moreover, astronauts have some degree of clinical infectious disease incidence. However, the contribution of the microgravity environment on host-pathogen interactions and potential for clinical disease remains understudied and poorly characterized. The goal of this study is to gain insight into the breadth of other medically significant microbial pathogens that may exhibit altered virulence and pathogenesis-related responses when cultured in space flight analogue conditions. Specifically, we are characterizing the effect of spaceflight analogue culture (Low Shear Modeled Microgravity/LSMMG) on microbial pathogenesis-related stress responses, in vitro host-pathogen interactions, gene expression, and virulence potential in animals using five important model bacterial pathogens, Salmonella enterica Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Herein, we present data from one of these pathogens, the foodborne bacterium, S. enterica Enteritidis, which is closely related to S. enterica Typhimurium. Phenotypes evaluated included growth profiles, environmental stress responses(acid, oxidative, bile, and thermal stresses),and in vitro colonization of3-D biomimetic cultures of human intestinal tissue containing immune cells. Transcriptomic profiling and virulence studies are ongoing. We show that S. Enteritidis exhibited key alterations in pathogenic responses to LSMMG culture that suggest increased infection risk, including several responses which were different from those observed in the closely related pathovar S. Typhimurium. This information will provide critical mechanistic insight into the potential impact of microgravity on alterations in microbial virulence and associated infectious disease risk to crew health during spaceflight missions.

C M Ott↗

NASA NTRS2024

Spaceflight-Induced Changes in Microbial Virulence and the Impact to the Host Immune Response

Many microbial pathogen shave repeatedly exhibited unexpected responses relevant to infectious disease when grown in microgravity and microgravity analogue environments, including changes in final cell concentration, biofilm production, stress resistance, antibiotic sensitivity, gene expression, host-pathogen interactions, and virulence. Notably, the classic foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium displayed increased virulence in animals when cultured in either the spaceflight analogue or true spaceflight environment. Recently, Serratia marcescens also was shown to increase virulence when cultured in the spaceflight environment. In parallel, astronaut studies have characterized a persistent spaceflight-induced dysregulation of the human immune system at multiple levels, which suggests an increased risk of infectious diseases. Moreover, astronauts have some degree of clinical infectious disease incidence. However, the contribution of the microgravity environment on host-pathogen interactions and potential for clinical disease remains understudied and poorly characterized. The goal of this study is to gain insight into the breadth of other medically significant microbial pathogens that may exhibit altered virulence and pathogenesis-related responses when cultured in space flight analogue conditions. Specifically, we are characterizing the effect of spaceflight analogue culture (Low Shear Modeled Microgravity/LSMMG) on microbial pathogenesis-related stress responses, in vitro host-pathogen interactions, gene expression, and virulence potential in animals using five important model bacterial pathogens, Salmonella enterica Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Herein, we present data from one of these pathogens, the foodborne bacterium, S. enterica Enteritidis, which is closely related to S. enterica Typhimurium. Phenotypes evaluated included growth profiles, environmental stress responses(acid, oxidative, bile, and thermal stresses),and in vitro colonization of3-D biomimetic cultures of human intestinal tissue containing immune cells. Transcriptomic profiling and virulence studies are ongoing. We show that S. Enteritidis exhibited key alterations in pathogenic responses to LSMMG culture that suggest increased infection risk, including several responses which were different from those observed in the closely related pathovar S. Typhimurium. This information will provide critical mechanistic insight into the potential impact of microgravity on alterations in microbial virulence and associated infectious disease risk to crew health during spaceflight missions.

C.M. Ott↗

NASA NTRS2020

GeneLab

GeneLab collects and enables analysis of spaceflight and ground-based spaceflight simulation genomic data, RNA and protein expression, and metabolic profiles. It interfaces with other existing databases containing spaceflight omic data. The 2011 National Research Council (NRC) Decadal Survey on NASA Life and Physical Sciences called for increased opportunities for multi-investigator spaceflight opportunities and greater use of genomic approaches to meet the needs of NASA researchers. To address these recommendations of the NRC Decadal Survey, the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate has initiated a transition to an Open Science architecture to increase research opportunities, and has developed the GeneLab Platform based on highly leveraged and integrated bioinformatics analytics. GeneLab is an interactive, open-access resource where scientists can upload, download, store, search, share, transfer, and analyze omics data from spaceflight and corresponding analogue experiments. Users can explore GeneLab datasets in the Data Repository, analyze data using the Analysis Platform, visualize high-order data and create collaborative projects using the Collaborative Workspace. Our primary goal is to maximize the utilization of the valuable biological research conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) by collecting genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomics data known as “omics”. By providing a portal linking processed data to flight parameters, GeneLab enables exploration of the molecular network responses of terrestrial biology to the space environment. This allows researchers to understand the complex responses of biological systems to the space environment. This technology development activity was transferred from the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate to the Science Mission Directorate Division of Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) in October 2020.

GeneLab↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Intraocular Pressure Dynamics in Microgravity and Terrestrial Analogues: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Analysis

Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) presents risk to expeditionary spaceflight. Related ocular findings carry poorly understood pathophysiology, including relationship to intraocular pressure (IOP) dynamics in microgravity. The study objectives were to conduct a systematic literature review and pool available IOP data from terrestrial microgravity analogs plus published spaceflight measures for comparison and qualitative analysis.

Elkhatib, Wiaam↗

NASA NTRS2021

Quirky Circling Behavior in Mice Informs Research on Humans in Space

As interest in long duration effects of space habitation increases, understanding the behavior of model organisms living within the habitats engineered to fly them is vital for designing, validating, and interpreting future spaceflight studies. We previously conducted a detailed phenotypic analysis of mouse behavior during long duration (33-day) spaceflight in the NASA Rodent Habitat (Rodent Research-1; RR1 mission). Notably, we documented the emergence within the 8-10 days of launch of spontaneous ambulatory behavior in the form of circling or ‘race-tracking’ behavior in spaceflight but not in an identical ground control condition. Circling is unique to the NASA RH not having been reported to occur in other mouse habitats that provide limited opportunity for grasping, and/or are characterized by smaller habitable volumes viz., Italian Mice Drawer System (MDS) flown on ISS; Russian Block Obespecheniya Soderzhaniya (BOS) flown on Bion M-1, or JAXA Habitat Cage Unit (HCU) flown in the ISS Kibo module. Over time, circling became the primary dark cycle activity of FLT mice, occurring in individuals then as a coordinated group activity. Here we discuss possible interpretations of circling behavior including: (1) Stereotypic or abnormal repetitive behaviors (ARBs) that are unvarying, and apparently functionless behavior patterns documented numerous species in laboratory and zoo settings, possibility related to insufficient environmental enrichment and stress, (2) Rewarding effects of physical activity that are well-documented in terrestrial studies of rodents given the opportunity to run in wheels, and (3) Vestibular self-stimulation, i.e., the generation biologically-relevant amounts of vestibular sensory input to reduce the effects of microgravity. Affording mice the opportunity to grab and run in the RH resembles physical activities that the crew participate in routinely. Our approach is yielding an interesting analogue for better understanding human responses to spaceflight, and providing the opportunity to begin to address how physical movement influences responses to microgravity.

spaceflight↗

NASA NTRS2004

Microbial Responses to Microgravity and Other Low-Shear Environments

Microbial adaptation to environmental stimuli is essential for survival. While several of these stimuli have been studied in detail, recent studies have demonstrated an important role for a novel environmental parameter in which microgravity and the low fluid shear dynamics associated with microgravity globally regulate microbial gene expression, physiology, and pathogenesis. In addition to analyzing fundamental questions about microbial responses to spaceflight, these studies have demonstrated important applications for microbial responses to a ground-based, low-shear stress environment similar to that encountered during spaceflight. Moreover, the low-shear growth environment sensed by microbes during microgravity of spaceflight and during ground-based microgravity analogue culture is relevant to those encountered during their natural life cycles on Earth. While no mechanism has been clearly defined to explain how the mechanical force of fluid shear transmits intracellular signals to microbial cells at the molecular level, the fact that cross talk exists between microbial signal transduction systems holds intriguing possibilities that future studies might reveal common mechanotransduction themes between these systems and those used to sense and respond to low-shear stress and changes in gravitation forces. The study of microbial mechanotransduction may identify common conserved mechanisms used by cells to perceive changes in mechanical and/or physical forces, and it has the potential to provide valuable insight for understanding mechanosensing mechanisms in higher organisms. This review summarizes recent and future research trends aimed at understanding the dynamic effects of changes in the mechanical forces that occur in microgravity and other low-shear environments on a wide variety of important microbial parameters.

Review↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Morphological and developmental variation of red mizuna grown under blue light in ground-based microgravity analogues through the utilization of specialized clinostats

Microgreens, such as red (purple) mizuna, have been considered as spaceflight candidate crop plants to be integrated in bioregenerative life support systems for long-duration spaceflight. This is due to their high nutrient density, relatively fast developmental cycles, low horticultural energy, water needs and minimal space requirements. It is therefore important to develop space plant life-support systems capable of mitigating any potentially detrimental effects associated with crop responses to spaceflight related stressors; such as microgravity and light variation. This study focuses on identifying phenotypic variation in the development of red (purple) mizuna grown under blue light in a 2D clinostat to simulate the lack of a gravity vector found within true microgravity.

Gilbert Cauthorn↗

NASA NTRS2005

Human behavioral research in space: quandaries for research subjects and researchers

With the advent of long-duration spaceflight on board the International Space Station (ISS) and possible future missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) such as Mars, it is critical that those at NASA have a realistic assessment of the challenges that will face individuals on long-duration missions so that they can develop preventive and real-time countermeasures to behavioral health issues. While space travellers are very interested in having countermeasures to the deleterious effects of space missions, they have a powerful disincentive to participate in this research if they feel it could in any way negatively affect their flight status. The behavioral issues of isolation and confinement for extended-duration space missions are reviewed. Areas of basic and clinical behavioral research are listed. And the classical clinical model for research is not considered appropriate for the current configuration of the space program. The use of analogue environments and advanced statistical analysis are suggested as ways to address the limited spaceflight research opportunities. The challenge of research subject or patient confidentiality vs. mission safety and issues of personal flight status are addressed.

Review, Tutorial↗

NASA NTRS2017

Advancing Translational Space Research Through Biospecimen Sharing: Amplified Impact of Studies Utilizing Analogue Space Platforms

Biospecimen Sharing Programs (BSPs) have been organized by NASA Ames Research Center since the 1960s with the goal of maximizing utilization and scientific return from rare, complex and costly spaceflight experiments. BSPs involve acquiring otherwise unused biological specimens from primary space research experiments for distribution to secondary experiments. Here we describe a collaboration leveraging Ames expertise in biospecimen sharing to magnify the scientific impact of research informing astronaut health funded by the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element. The concept expands biospecimen sharing to one-off ground-based studies utilizing analogue space platforms (e.g., Hindlimb Unloading (HLU), Artificial Gravity) for rodent experiments, thereby significantly broadening the range of research opportunities with translational relevance for protecting human health in space and on Earth. In this presentation, we will report on biospecimens currently being acquired from HHC Award Head-Down Tilt as a Model for Intracranial and Intraocular Pressures, and Retinal Changes during Spaceflight, and their availability. The BSP add-on to the project described herein has already yielded for HHC-funded investigators more than 4,700 additional tissues that would otherwise have been discarded as waste, with additional tissues available for analysis. Young (3-mo old) male and female rats and Older (9-mo old) male rats are being exposed to HLU for either 7, 14, 28, or 90 days. Additional groups are exposed to 90 days of unloading followed by either 7, 14, 28 days or 90 days of recovery (normal loading). Comparisons are made with non-suspended controls. Unused tissues are: Skin, Lungs, Thymus, Adrenals, Kidneys, Spleen, Hindlimb Muscles (Soleus, Extensor Digitorum Longus, Tibialis Anterior, Plantaris Gastrocnemius), Fat Pads, Reproductive Organs, and Intestines. Tissues are harvested, weighed, preserved then archived (with metadata) using a sample tracking system (CryoTrack). Preservation techniques include snap-freezing and RNALatersnap-freezing. Specimens were weighed at the time of dissection, and organ mass:body mass ratios analyzed to determine unloading effects across conditions and durations. The results corroborate previously reported effects of short-term exposure to microgravity or unloading exposure on various organs, and provide new insights into adaptation to long-duration unloading relevant to sustained spaceflight exposures on ISS.

biospecimen sharing↗

NASA NTRS2016

Advancing Translational Space Research Through Biospecimen Sharing: Amplified Impact of Studies Utilizing Analogue Space Platforms

Biospecimen Sharing Programs (BSPs) have been organized by NASA Ames Research Center since the 1960s with the goal of maximizing utilization and scientific return from rare, complex and costly spaceflight experiments. BSPs involve acquiring otherwise unused biological specimens from primary space research experiments for distribution to secondary experiments. Here we describe a collaboration leveraging Ames expertise in biospecimen sharing to magnify the scientific impact of research informing astronaut health funded by the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element. The concept expands biospecimen sharing to one-off ground-based studies utilizing analogue space platforms (e.g., Hindlimb Unloading (HLU), Artificial Gravity) for rodent experiments, thereby significantly broadening the range of research opportunities with translational relevance for protecting human health in space and on Earth.

Biospecimen Sharing↗

NASA NTRS2000

Predictors of Behavior and Performance in Extreme Environments: The Antarctic Space Analogue Program

To determine which, if any, characteristics should be incorporated into a select-in approach to screening personnel for long-duration spaceflight, we examined the influence of crewmember social/ demographic characteristics, personality traits, interpersonal needs, and characteristics of station physical environments on performance measures in 657 American men who spent an austral winter in Antarctica between 1963 and 1974. During screening, subjects completed a Personal History Questionnaire which obtained information on social and demographic characteristics, the Deep Freeze Opinion Survey which assessed 5 different personality traits, and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) Scale which measured 6 dimensions of interpersonal needs. Station environment included measures of crew size and severity of physical environment. Performance was assessed on the basis of combined peer-supervisor evaluations of overall performance, peer nominations of fellow crewmembers who made ideal winter-over candidates, and self-reported depressive symptoms. Social/demographic characteristics, personality traits, interpersonal needs, and characteristics of station environments collectively accounted for 9-17% of the variance in performance measures. The following characteristics were significant independent predictors of more than one performance measure: military service, low levels of neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness, and a low desire for affection from others. These results represent an important first step in the development of select-in criteria for personnel on long-duration missions in space and other extreme environments. These criteria must take into consideration the characteristics of the environment and the limitations they place on meeting needs for interpersonal relations and task performance, as well as the characteristics of the individuals and groups who live and work in these environments.

Palinkas, Lawrence A.↗