Worms cultured in Derby to be sent into space as part of pioneering experiment | Research news

Worms cultured in Derby to be sent into space as part of pioneering experiment

space worms team picture

University of Nottingham researchers based at Royal Derby Hospital are set to send worms into space in a bid to further understand the effects of muscle loss during space flight – which could also benefit patients.

The Molecular Muscle Experiment is being led by the University of Nottingham’s Professor of Space Biology, Nathaniel Szewczyk, and involves sending tiny worms of about 1mm in length, which are cultured on-site at Royal Derby, to the International Space Station where their condition will be monitored by a team of experts who analyse how being in space effects their muscles.

Further down the line, it is hoped that the findings can help to develop effective treatments and therapies for hospital patients in plaster casts or those who have treatments resulting in muscle wastage, such as patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The worms are packaged into these protective cassettes when they are sent to the ISS Professor Szewczyk, who has been conducting research with worms since 1993, hopes that his work can not only benefit those embarking on space travel, but patients around the world too:

“Astronauts lose around 40 per cent of their muscle mass after six months in space, which is the equivalent to between 20 to 40 years of ageing.

“This work is about understanding muscle changes in space to mitigate against the effects of spending time in space for astronauts. But this also relates to patients who spend time receiving treatment here at Royal Derby Hospital.

“Certain clinics will see patients with muscular change, for example in cancer treatment, and there can be commonalities with patients with muscular dystrophy.”

The worms, known as Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), share many biological characteristics with humans, and previous investigations have found that their ability to use energy and how their muscles alter while in space is similar to those in humans.

Professor Szewczyk, who also supervises PhD Teaching Fellows conducting research at UHDB, said: “A lot of people ask why we look at worms, and it’s because they’re one of the simplest creatures to have both muscles and nerves. People thought that experimenting with mice and rats was strange years ago, so why not try it with worms? The C. elegans are placed on ice on their return to Earth to keep them frozen

“We want to analyse the genetic change of the worms’ muscles in space and, eventually, use this data to see how it relates to humans. The genetic change in the muscles cells of worms isn’t too dissimilar to that that we see in humans who are in bed or have a limb in plaster for long periods of time.”

Before being sent into space, the worms will be prepared for their journey in a lab in America before being handed over to NASA who will ensure the worms are kept at the correct temperature.

The team hope to send the worms on the Space X 23 expedition which is due to embark from a launch site in Florida in mid-2021 and will spend around a month at the International Space Station.

Dr Teresa Grieve, Assistant Director of Research and Development at UHDB, said: “It is a huge privilege to work alongside our research colleagues in the University of Nottingham who are working at the leading edge of their field.

“It is sobering to think that information gained from using such simple, model organisms as C.elegans floating in space could lead, eventually, to life-enhancing treatments for our patients. Clearly, their research is ‘out of this world’”.

 

Captions:

1. Professor Nathaniel Szewczyk (bottom right) and the MME Team at a previous launch at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida

2. The worms are packaged into specialised bags containing nutrients and then loaded into these protective cassettes when they are sent to the ISS

3. The C. elegans are placed on ice on their return to Earth to keep them frozen

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