Intrepid squid mission may help in kraken riddle of why zero-g makes astronauts sick
- Reference: 1624465927
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/06/23/squid_iss/
- Source link:
While this may seem like a slightly counterintuitive plan, the reason the squid were chosen as test subjects is perfectly sensible and not because NASA is joining in with some informal "Be Mean To Sealife" week for US government bodies – despite the US Air Force's recent efforts to [1]kill snails with missiles and the US Navy's decision to [2]set off big explosions in the Atlantic .
Rather, the sickness-studying whitecoats are trying to find out if watching how Hawaiian bobtail squid react to zero gravity will help them understand why it upsets the way humans react to germs.
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"As astronauts spend more and more time in space, their immune systems become what's called dysregulated. It doesn't function as well," [4]Dr Jamie Foster , Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, [5]told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser . "Their immune systems don't recognize bacteria as easily. They sometimes get sick."
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The nocturnal Hawaiian bobtail squid ( Euprymna scolopes ), which grows to a full adult size of only three inches (7.6cm) long, has a symbiotic relationship with a species of bioluminescent bacteria called Vibrio fischeri .
The bacteria allow the squid to remain camouflaged through counter-illumination, or emitting light at the same intensity as its surroundings to prevent it standing out to predators.
[8]USA's efforts to stop relying on Russian-built rocket engines derailed by issues with Blue Origin's BE-4
[9]Ancient 16m-yr-old beastie caught riding on much bigger flying mount
[10]Forget sharks with lasers, NASA kits out an elephant seal with a sensor-studded skullcap
[11]Fiber optic cables prove eyes of glass squids are like invisibility cloaks
The scientists running the experiment, dubbed [12]UMAMI (Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions) , want to see how the squid's relationship with its single species of symbiont changes in zero-g. This will let them learn more about what might be happening in the relationship between humans and their own multiple species of symbiotic microbes that causes the immune system to stop recognising bacteria as easily, potentially causing illness.
This research could have immense importance for future long-duration space missions, especially if humanity wants to eventually travel beyond its own backyard.
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"There are aspects of the immune system that just don't work properly under long-duration spaceflights," Dr Foster said. "If humans want to spend time on the Moon or Mars, we have to solve health problems to get them there safely."
The 128 doughty squid are currently on the International Space Station, having been sent up there on 3 June [14]via a SpaceX resupply mission . They will return to Earth in July.
If they suffer any sort of dysregulation in their relationship with their symbiotic bacterial companions, expect them to be returned to the scientists with a note reading: "Here's the sick squid I owe you." ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/22/usaf_snail_clam_missile_plan/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/22/us_navy_creates_earthquake/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YNOu8glReGmst0fPbW2GoQAAAEs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] http://www.jamiefosterscience.com/people/
[5] https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/06/21/hawaii-news/hawaiian-squid-head-to-space-to-help-understand-astronauts-health-thanks-to-a-uh-manoa-ph-d-graduate/
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNOu8glReGmst0fPbW2GoQAAAEs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YNOu8glReGmst0fPbW2GoQAAAEs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/22/gao_engine/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2012/10/18/amber_xray_discovery/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/06/nasa_elephant_seal/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2016/06/08/fiber_optic_cables_prove_squid_eye_invisibility_cloak/
[12] https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html#id=8298
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YNOu8glReGmst0fPbW2GoQAAAEs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/03/spacex-rocket-heads-to-iss-with-a-supply-of-squid-toothpaste-and-avocados
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
UMAMI
Will the astronauts be eating the squid, having completed the experiment?
Re: UMAMI
need to send up tempura batter, a zero-G fryer, and cocktail sauce to go with it (-ika)
Re: a zero-G fryer
In future generations people will be complaining that "it ain't like the old days where you could toss a pancake and it would land back in the pan, nowadays you have to report it as another piece of space junk."
Re: UMAMI
It was that or SASHIMIS
See A Squid Harmed In Microgravity In Spaaaace.
;-)
Umami.... seriously...
Although as acronyms go this one is ..palatable..
Clothes washing
I read an article on another site today about the lack of ability to wash clothes in space. The astronauts apparently wear them until they can't stand the stench anymore. Maybe, just maybe, insufficient hygiene might have something to do with it?
Re: insufficient hygiene
I was vaguely pondering the opposite idea - i.e. given a (presumably) smaller variety of bacteria and viruses in their restricted environment, this means that their immune systems don't get enough real work to do, so get bored and stop working properly.
Whichever way it works, I wouldn't have thought that looking at a squid would help. Who knew?
Re: Clothes washing
when you consider how dry cleaning machines and front-load washers work, it shouldn't be THAT hard to design a front-loading spinny washing machine with sufficient artificial gravity to wash clothes... and a hyper-efficient extraction process that wastes very little water [and dries at low temperatures].
I'd expect the gunk and lint would end up in a disposable filter of some kind, and anything stinky could be burnt off by passing it through high temperature heating elements in the presence of air. [in the submarine world, that is called a 'burner']
where's the X prize for this? [I need to enter]
Water in 0g
So how do they keep the squid in water? How do they keep little voids and air pockets from harming them?
Re: Water in 0g
as I understand it surface tension on water tends to make it form a ball in 0g. So that would be relatively free of air bubbles, though oxygenating the water might be challenging... (might be fun to see how they solved that)
Re: So how do they keep the squid in water?
I suppose one way to simulate gravity would be with a centrifuge. Not too fast otherwise you will get the "kermit" effect (mass exsquinction).
Zero G Space Sickness
I always assumed this was due to confusion between what your inner ear was telling your brain, compared to what your eyes were telling it.
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I'd be no good in space, suffering vertigo just getting out of bed sometimes. BTW if you are plagued with this I found the Epley Maneuver very effective.
Only squid?
Why not throw in a few of those immortal jellyfish as well. There's no way that can go wrong.