Experiment

Results of CERISE Experiment Officially Released

* All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

Results of the CERISE experiment*, which aimed at investigating effects of microgravity on nematode C. elegans, which was performed using the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) in Kibo, will officially be released.

*RNA interference and protein phosphorylation in space environment using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Principal Investigator: Atsushi Higashitani, Tohoku University, Sendai)

The experiment team performed sample analyses using the samples of the CERISEexperiment returned from the International Space Station (ISS). Upon analyses, the team found selective RNAi effect, which targets and silences each of the three different genes (nematode recombinant GFP, protein for cell proliferation, and enzyme degrading α-actin which composes muscles).

The finding is expected to be applied to development of a countermeasure against muscle atrophy for astronauts in space.

Tohoku University Press Release

The effectiveness of RNAi in space - A new challenge for muscle and bone atrophy under the weightless condition - [PDF: 228 KB]

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)