Space dogs. They are healthy and in good health

168 mice were born from sperm exposed for six years to cosmic radiation aboard the International Space Station. Thus the space cradle, located aboard the International Space Station, showed that a sample of freeze-dried mouse sperm did not suffer from side effects from radiation exposure.

Experiment carried out by a groupyamanash university, japan Led by Teruhiko Wakayama, published in the magazine science progress last June 11.

Scholars group started from the concept that space radiation It includes various active particles, including solar wind, solar cosmic rays, and galactic cosmic rays, which cannot reproduce on Earth. The team next sought to explore how radiation might stimulate this directly or indirectly DNA damage, affected by freeze-dried mouse sperm – the so-called FD sperm.

This type of sperm does not contain water within its cytoplasm or nucleus – a feature that makes it particularly suitable for radiation tolerance. Scientists speculate that FD sperm can be stored in microgravity conditions for More than 200 years.

The experience started in 2013, when 48 ampoules containing freeze-dried sperm from 12 mice were transported to the space station. The first batch of ampoules was later returned to Earth 9 monthsin a second 2 years and 9 months And the last one after the well 6 years. Once back on Earth, the sperm was rehydrated in the lab and used to fertilize eggs. The results obtained in the first session gave excellent results, although the sperm had accumulated DNA damage as a result of radiation.

Now the same can be said for the heroes who stayed on the International Space Station for 6 years. When used for fertilization, they gave birth to healthy offspring, with the same birth rate as “non-space” mice and in the same ratio of males to females.

Although deep interplanetary space is populated by radiation from densely ionized particles that can cause more damage to the DNA of cells than the International Space Station, researchers believe this research could remain very useful for long-term space travel in the future.

In the near future, NASA will build lunar orbital portal, a station that will orbit the moon and provide an international collaboration platform for science experiments. No astronauts are expected for extended periods of time at the gate. But according to scientists, FD sperm can still be used in mammalian reproductive experiments in lunar orbit, because they can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time without the need for astronauts’ intervention.

Top image credits: Yamanash University of Japan.