The Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on Monday, delivering biological samples, including zebrafish embryos and cells, to conduct in-orbit biomedical experiments.
A research team from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, in collaboration with the space science and application system, will use the zebrafish cultivation device to study the mechanisms regulating protein homeostasis underlying bone loss and myocardial changes under microgravity.
"Zebrafish are excellent model organisms for studying bone metabolism and myocardial remodeling. Building on previous experiments with adult zebrafish, this study uses normal and genetically modified zebrafish embryos and mouse osteoblasts as experimental subjects. We are investigating the impact of microgravity on organ development, as well as the role of a protein homeostasis regulator, which we have been studying for over a decade, in counteracting bone loss," said Li Yingxian from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province.
According to researchers, this experiment will provide crucial cellular-level evidence for studies on weightlessness-induced bone loss. Furthermore, it is expected to offer a theoretical basis for developing new targets to prevent and protect against bone loss in space.
Tianzhou-10 sends zebrafish embryos, cells to space station for scientific research
