Ready for space travel? GENESTAR can track how space affects your health

As the number of space travelers is increasing through commercial missions, it becomes more important to understand how space affects the human body. A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and supported by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is at the forefront of this effort. They developed and tested the Genomic Evaluation of Space Travel and Research (GENESTAR) manual, a comprehensive protocol for collecting, processing and storing biospecimens from commercial spaceflight participants tailored to support all current and anticipated biological and genomic measurements. 

The team reports in npi-Microgravity that the protocol not only met high quality standards for advanced molecular testing but also standouts for its focus on data privacy, ethical research and effective sample tracking. Although GENESTAR is focused on space, its findings could have major implications for healthcare on Earth.

“Space is a harsh environment. Microgravity, radiation and isolation can all affect the body in ways we’re only beginning to understand. GENESTAR aims to fill this knowledge gap by collecting a wide range of biological samples – like blood, saliva, urine and stool – from space travelers before and after their missions,” said corresponding author Dr. Harsha Doddapaneni, associate professor at Baylor’s Human Genome Sequencing Center.

GENESTAR is a part of a broader initiative, the Genomics and Space Medicine (Space Omics) project conducted at the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor. Space Omics involves a comprehensive biospecimen collection plan that uses cutting-edge technologies to study genes, proteins and other molecules in the body

“The GENESTAR team developed standardized procedures to ensure that samples are collected consistently across different missions and locations. These samples are then analyzed using ‘omics’ technologies – like genomics (DNA), transcriptomics (RNA), proteomics (proteins) and microbiomics (microbes) – to uncover how space travel affects the body at a molecular level,” said Dr. Rihana S. Bokhari, scientific research director of TRISH. “Scientists are not conducting a lot of genetics research in the space context, so GENESTAR is a step forward in that direction. Collecting omics data is essential to understand the genetic, physiological, cellular and microbiome changes related to space travel.”

The researchers tested the GENESTAR protocols on four crew members from the Axiom-2 mission, a 10-day trip to the International Space Station in May 2023. They collected more than 300 samples from the participants at multiple time points: 90, 30 and 3 days before launch and several days after their return and analyzed them.

“We were very pleased with the results,” said co-first author Dr. Aparna Krishnavajhala, research associate at Baylor’s Human Genome Sequencing Center. “We found that 98% of blood samples and more than 91% of non-blood samples met quality standards for advanced molecular testing. In addition, the protocol included fully informing the participants about how their samples and data will be used. Each sample is anonymized using a two-step coding process to protect the identities of the participants.”

Another innovation is the use of a laboratory information management system, which tracks each sample from collection to analysis. This ensures that data is accurate, secure and easy to share with other researchers. GENESTAR also offers participants the option to receive a clinical-grade whole genome sequencing report. This report can reveal important genetic information, such as predisposition to certain diseases or how a person might respond to specific medications. The project also helps to build a massive biobank of samples and data that researchers around the world can use to study human biology in regular and extreme environments.
This study has potential implications beyond space, here on Earth. For instance, studying early molecular indicators and mechanisms of bone loss triggered by lack of gravity during space travel might provide new insights into bone loss on aging people living on Earth. Also known as osteoporosis, this common condition weakens bones and makes them more prone to fractures.

The GENESTAR team is already expanding its work. Researchers have collected samples from a second mission (Axiom-3) and are preparing for more. They’re also exploring new ways to collect samples during spaceflight using small, self-operated devices, potentially allowing astronauts to collect blood in microgravity without medical staff.

Other contributors to this work include Marie-Claude Gingras, Emmanuel Urquieta, Hsu Chao, Dilrukshi Bandaranaike, Yi Chen, Sravya Bhamidipati, Viktoriya Korchina, S. Michelle Griffin, Michal M. Masternak, Hannah Moreno, Javid Mohammed, Mullai Murugan, Jennifer E. Posey, Jimmy H. Wu, Donna Muzny and Richard A. Gibbs. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Axiom Space – Houston and Poznan University of Medical Sciences – Poland.

This study was funded by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (Grant# INN0010) through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A.