![]() ![]() The Genes in Space program, founded by Boeing and miniPCR Bio TM and supported through the ISS National Lab, holds a free annual competition for students in grades 7 through 12 to propose pioneering DNA experiments that use the unique environment of the ISS. Student researchers David Li, Aarthi Vijayakumar, Rebecca, Li, and Michelle Sung designed the groundbreaking experiment and co-lead the effort, winning the opportunity to conduct research on the ISS National Lab through the Genes in Space competition. CRISPR has even been suggested for use in animals-to help save endangered species or as a method to modify organs for more successful xenotransplantation, which could ameliorate the organ shortage crisis. While the technology is still most widely used in fundamental biology research, its potential for therapeutic use is broad, and human trials for some uses are underway. The technology is also used to address global food shortages by genetically modifying crops to stay fresh longer during long-distance transport. Its precise gene-editing capabilities have been used in animal models to correct the genetic mutations responsible for cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The experiment, designed to provide meaningful insight on how DNA repairs itself after damage incurred through cosmic radiation, is the first use of this specific gene editing technique in space.ĬRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) holds the potential to combat a variety of global medical and environmental issues. Genes in Space student investigators have succeeded in making history this week, when their experiment successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit DNA on the International Space Station (ISS). Results from the experiment may inform our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and may lead to improvements in current methods to protect astronauts against cosmic radiation during space travel.The student-led experiment, awarded through the Genes in Space competition, used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to create targeted breaks in the yeast genome that imitate damage to DNA caused by radiation.For the first time, astronauts onboard the ISS used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit DNA in space. ![]()
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