Studying cells in space
Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer as he prepares an experiment to examine how human cells behave in weightlessness. Cytoskeleton is a biological study to determine the changing function of RhoGTPases when in vitro cell cultures are exposed to weightlessness.
In this video we see Matthias remove Cytoskeleton cell cultures from the Minus Eighty Lab Freezer ISS (MELFI) and prepare them in the Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) before installing the experiment in Columbus’s BioLab.
Findings from Cytoskeleton will expand scientists’ knowledge of human cell function and inform measures to help crew maintain optimal health and performance during future missions. This new knowledge could also be used in clinical research on Earth.
Matthias was launched to the International Space Station for his current Cosmic Kiss mission on 11 November 2021. In his approximately six months on board, he will support over 35 European experiments and many more international experiments in orbit.
Find out more about Matthias and the science he will support on the ESA Cosmic Kiss mission website.
