Zebrafish in Space? China Pioneers Experiment on Tiangong Space Station, Hoping To Mitigate Bone Loss in Astronauts

China has ambitious plans to send zebrafish to its space station in the future. The mission aims to study how fish interact with microorganisms in a closed ecosystem and gain insights into bone loss in astronauts during space travel. Zhang Wei, an assistant to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space engineering space application system, revealed the plan during a seminar in Beijing.

While specific details about the experiment's timeline and equipment are not yet disclosed, this pioneering endeavor holds promise for enhancing our understanding of microgravity-related challenges and ensuring safer space exploration endeavors.

Fish and Other Animals in Space

Sending fish to space is not a novel idea, as NASA's Aquatic Habitat (AQH) was dispatched to the International Space Station in 2012. The AQH was specifically designed to explore the effects of microgravity on marine life and accommodated a group of medaka, a small freshwater fish indigenous to Japan.

Moreover, Space.com reported that zebrafish (Danio rerio) were sent to the Salyut 5 of the Soviet Union in 1976 aboard the Soyuz 21 mission. Cosmonauts conducted experiments with the zebrafish and discovered that it can modify some of its behaviors when living in an environment with microgravity.

The history of sending animals to space dates back to 1947, but it was the more famous flight of the Soviet space dog Laika aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957 that captured widespread attention. Unfortunately, Laika tragically overheated and passed away mere hours after the start of her historic journey.

Other animals that have been to space for experiments include flies, monkeys and apes, mice, dogs, tortoises, frogs, spiders, tardigrades, and nematodes. As per an article in Discover Wildlife, these animals marked a significant leap in the early days of space flight, wherein many of them lost their lives in the process.

Zebrafish Perfect for Biomedical Research

Studies have shown that zebrafish is perfect for biomedical research which is why it is widely used in experiments. According to a 2019 paper, zebrafish stand out as a distinctive model organism for biomedical research due to various advantageous characteristics.

Their fully sequenced genome, ease of genetic manipulation, high fecundity, the ability for external fertilization, rapid development, and nearly transparent embryos make them ideal candidates for studying biological processes and human diseases in a laboratory setting.

Notably, zebrafish possess all the essential organs involved in metabolism, rendering them suitable for investigating various human metabolic disorders. Conditions such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hepatic diseases can be studied using zebrafish as a valuable model system, offering valuable insights into these health conditions.

As molecular techniques continue to advance and evolve, zebrafish will retain their significance as a crucial biomedical model in the times to come. The ongoing innovations and improvements in research methodologies will ensure that zebrafish remain a powerful tool for furthering our understanding of complex biological processes and contributing to the advancement of medical knowledge and treatments.