Fruit fly study on Tiangong space station explores microgravity's biological impact

Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station are conducting a pioneering experiment to investigate how microgravity and sub-magnetic environments affect living organisms.

The research, part of the Shenzhou 19 crew's six-month mission, involves 15 adult fruit flies and 40 pupae, delivered to the station on November 15 by the Tianzhou 8 resupply mission.

Led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the experiment examines the molecular mechanisms and behavioral patterns of fruit flies in low-gravity and sub-magnetic conditions. Researcher Zheng Weibo from the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics explained that the study aims to uncover how these unique space conditions might alter biological rhythms, offering insights crucial for future deep-space missions.

The experiment includes two controlled environments aboard Tiangong: one mimicking Earth's magnetic field and the other replicating the weaker magnetic field of deep space. Zheng emphasized that while low Earth orbit is still influenced by Earth's magnetism, understanding the effects of reduced magnetic fields on biological systems is vital for long-term space exploration.

Frozen samples of the fruit flies will be returned to Earth for further study.

Li Yan, the project’s lead researcher, highlighted that the analysis will compare gene expression between the samples exposed to microgravity and sub-magnetic fields and control groups. This comparative data will help researchers understand how these conditions interact and affect living organisms at a genetic level.

Fruit flies, with their short life cycles and extensive use in genetic research, have been a staple in space experiments.