The groundbreaking endeavor of raising zebrafish in space by the crew of the Shenzhou-18 spaceflight mission will help decode more human genetic mysteries, as zebrafish share over 80 percent of genes with humans, said a Chinese scientist.
China successfully sent a new crew of three astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-18 spaceship into orbit on Thursday night.
An ingenious task for the three pilot-turned astronauts is to create an "aquarium" and raise fish in zero gravity.
The astronauts will create a simplified version of an aquatic ecosystem using zebrafish and hornwort to study how the space environment affects their growth and system balance.
The "aquarium" is 1.25 liters in volume and can accommodate four small fish. But if the experiment succeeds, it will be a significant breakthrough to cultivate vertebrates in China's space program. Not only will the astronauts find joy in the space "aquarium," but it may also pave the way for their future counterparts to enjoy nutritious fish from their own in-orbit harvests.
"The astronauts will take care of the fish tank. For instance, if the fish lay eggs, they will help in collecting the eggs," said Wang Gaohong, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"Zebrafish are similar to lab rats in water. And they bear some resemblance to humans, as they share over 80 percent of our genes," said Gao.
Gao also highlighted the value of zebrafish as model organisms for studying human diseases, while also emphasizing their potential in enhancing people's understanding of the Earth's ecosystem.
Astronauts in orbit will also engage in an experiment of cultivating plants. The purpose is to analyze the changes in the function and gene expression of plant stem cells in a microgravity environment.
Raising fish in space helps decode human genetic mysteries: scientist
