Ever wondered what space truly does to our bodies? NASA's GeneLab is on a mission to find out, one molecule at a time.
GeneLab is NASA's groundbreaking, open-access repository for space biology data . Its core mission is to capture, store, and share vast amounts of biological information from experiments conducted in space. By making this data freely available to everyone—from students to senior scientists—GeneLab aims to accelerate scientific discovery and help solve the health challenges faced by astronauts on long-duration missions 1 4 .
Living in space is not the same as living on Earth. Astronauts experience a host of physiological changes, from slower wound healing and thinning bones to weakened immune systems .
Before GeneLab, biological data from precious spaceflight experiments was often siloed within individual research teams. GeneLab shatters these barriers by democratizing data access 4 . This open-science approach maximizes the scientific return on every experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and other platforms.
Multi-omics data from spaceflight experiments
Available to researchers worldwide
Maximizing scientific return from each mission
To truly understand the complex biological effects of spaceflight, scientists need more than just a single snapshot. They need a detailed, multi-layered profile of an organism's function. This is the power of omics.
Looks at the DNA blueprint, checking for damage or mutations caused by factors like cosmic radiation 7 .
Analyzes RNA, revealing which genes are actively being turned on or off in response to the environment 3 .
Identifies and quantifies the proteins that carry out most cellular functions.
Studies the small-molecule metabolites, which are the end products of cellular processes 7 .
While traditional "bulk" omics methods have been the workhorse of space biology, the field is now embracing more powerful, high-resolution techniques 3 .
Allows scientists to profile gene expression in individual cells, uncovering how specific cell types within a tissue respond to spaceflight 3 .
Goes a step further by preserving the 2D location of the RNA molecules within a tissue section 3 .
One of the most significant discoveries to emerge from GeneLab's data is the central role of mitochondrial dysfunction in spaceflight health risks.
A comprehensive, multi-omics analysis led by Dr. Afshin Beheshti and his team examined biomedical profiles from fifty-nine astronauts and hundreds of samples from NASA's GeneLab 5 .
Their pathway analysis consistently pointed to one central biological hub: mitochondrial processes 5 . Mitochondria, often called the "powerhouses of the cell," appeared to be under significant stress in space.
| Biological Pathway | Change in Spaceflight | Potential Impact on Astronaut Health |
|---|---|---|
| Mitochondrial Function | Dysregulated 5 | Reduced energy production, increased fatigue |
| Innate Immunity | Significantly enriched 5 | Chronic inflammation, weakened infection response |
| Cell Cycle | Disrupted 5 | Altered tissue repair and regeneration |
| Circadian Rhythm | Disturbed 5 | Sleep disorders, metabolic issues |
The implication of this finding is profound. Mitochondria are not only responsible for energy production; they also play key roles in regulating immune responses, cell death, and metabolism. If mitochondrial function is compromised in space, it could be a root cause behind many of the diverse health issues observed in astronauts 5 .
So, how does a piece of tissue from a mouse that lived on the ISS become an omics dataset in GeneLab? The process is a marvel of modern biotechnology, relying on highly standardized and meticulous protocols.
Frozen tissues are carefully portioned without thawing to preserve the integrity of the biological molecules 2 .
The tissue is broken down using specialized equipment like a bead beater or a Polytron rotor-stator homogenizer 2 6 .
Using kits like the Qiagen AllPrep, scientists isolate both DNA and RNA from the homogenized mixture 2 .
The quantity and quality of the extracted RNA or DNA are rigorously checked using instruments like the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2 .
The RNA is converted into a sequencing library using specialized protocols 2 .
The raw genetic data (in FASTQ format) is uploaded to GeneLab, where it is processed and made available for the world to analyze 8 .
| Research Tool | Function in the Experiment |
|---|---|
| Polytron Rotor Stator Homogenizer | Effectively homogenizes tough tissues (e.g., mouse skin) in larger volumes of lysis buffer 2 6 . |
| Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini Kit | Simultaneously extracts both DNA and RNA from a single sample, maximizing the data from precious tissue 2 . |
| TRIzol Reagent | A chemical solution used for isolating high-quality RNA, especially for certain downstream applications 2 . |
| RNase-Free DNase Set | Digests and removes genomic DNA from RNA samples, which is essential for accurate RNA sequencing results 2 . |
| Agilent Bioanalyzer System | Performs automated electrophoresis to assess the quality and integrity of RNA samples before sequencing 2 . |
The second Rodent Research Reference Mission (RRRM-2) exemplifies the cutting edge of space biology. In this experiment, 40 mice were flown to the ISS, with another 40 serving as ground controls. What sets this mission apart is its use of single-cell RNA sequencing on several tissues 3 .
Examining how spaceflight affects immune cell production in both femur and humerus bone marrow.
Analyzing PBMCs and spleen tissues to understand immune system changes in microgravity.
| GeneLab Dataset ID | Tissue Analyzed | Organism |
|---|---|---|
| GLDS-402 3 | Femur Bone Marrow | C57BL/6NTac mice |
| GLDS-403 3 | Humerus Bone Marrow | C57BL/6NTac mice |
| GLDS-404 3 | Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) | C57BL/6NTac mice |
| GLDS-405 3 | Spleen | C57BL/6NTac mice |
GeneLab's scope extends far beyond human and rodent biology. It is also vital for the development of space agriculture—a necessity for long-duration missions 7 .
Understanding how plants respond to microgravity and radiation
Developing bioregenerative life support for long missions
Breeding plants that thrive in space environments
The future of GeneLab is one of continued growth and collaboration. The platform is part of a larger ecosystem, the Open Science Data Repository (OSDR), which also includes the Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) for physiological data and the NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC) for physical biospecimens 8 .
Through its Analysis Working Groups (AWGs), GeneLab brings together experts from around the world to dive deep into its datasets, extracting maximum knowledge from every experiment .
The secrets to thriving in the final frontier are encoded in our very molecules. With GeneLab, we have the key to start decoding them.