Cells Need Gravity to Develop

grytpype writes "According to a recent news article, a team of French researchers has reported that cells that develop in zero-G conditions fail to form critical "microtubules" needed for proper cell structure. The problem persists even after the affected cells are returned to gravity. The implications for long-term human space travel are interesting."

Comments

so what happend to all the mice?

[thogard]

There have been plenty of healty mice born in space. Mice have been studied for a long time by both the US and Russian space programs.

I like the bit about the supressed immune system. The the theory for that (in the 1960s) was that the astronauts were all issolated in a germ free areas for long periods before and after flights.