Slashdot Mirror
Sperm Stored In Space Produces Healthy Baby Mice On Earth (theguardian.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Reproduction may be possible in space, Japanese researchers have said, after freeze-dried sperm stored on the International Space Station for nine months produced healthy offspring. The scientists said their findings could have significant ramifications for human settlements in space, which they consider "likely." The average daily radiation dose on the ISS is about 100 times stronger than that on Earth, posing a threat of serious reproductive problems for any space-dwelling organism. But mouse sperm stored on the ISS for 288 days from August 2013 to May 2014, then returned to Earth, fertilized in vitro and transferred into female mice, produced healthy offspring. The space-preserved samples showed evidence of slightly increased DNA damage compared with control samples preserved on Earth, but this was found to be largely repaired in embryos following fertilization. The birth rate and sex ratio of pups derived from the sperm stored in space was comparable to those of pups derived from the control samples. Subsequent whole genome analysis revealed only minor differences, and the pups developed into adults with normal fertility. The study was published in the proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences on Monday.
There are better ways to store sperm, freeze-dried would compromise the cellular membrane and render it immobile. You'd be limited to using direct injection methods in order to fertilize an egg.
It is certainly fascinating to see how robust these gametes are, but for the first interstellar diaspora it would be nice to retain our natural biological reproduction process that does not depend so heavily on technology. Becoming a race of beings that withers away in a generation if technology is lost makes an interesting science fiction story, but it's not a great plan for the human race.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
kinda fits.
We need to produce atomic powered super mice, not more useless lab mice
That's gotta be a new record...
Ok, before we talk about colonizing Mars or any other planet with gravity not equal to earth's (and that includes zero gee), we need to see if mice, at least, can become pregnant, bring their pups to term and have them live a full healthy life on the space station. Preferably for two or more generations.
Why? Well this would be the best indication that it will be possible for humans to do the same and, IF (and this is a big if) humans respond similarly AND if partial gravity (like Mars' 1/3 G or the Moon's 1/6 G) is less harmful than the zero gee (okay "micro-gravity") in the space station, then that would be an important first step to determining whether or not humans are capable (without modification) of colonizing other worlds or space itself.
If the mice cannot conceive or do not develop normally through their entire life cycle, then a long process of finding the cut-off point from 0 to 1 G may have to begin. Then, because humans are not mice, this program may have to be repeated (someday) with (very brave) volunteer couples. So let's hope that this first test is passed successfully; it would alleviate "some" concern that these human trials may not end in tragedy.
There are plenty of other concerns about raising humans in outer space (radiation, isolation, etc.) but some of these other problems can be overcome with technology we already possess (like lots of shielding). Too low gravity? Well unless we want the colonists to be spending a large amount of time during pregnancy and potentially child rearing in big centrifuges, there is no currently known way to artificially create it (or lessen it).
Then again, there's the possibility of Humans 2.0. That's why I'm studying genetic engineering! :)
...except it wasn't mouse sperm to start with. It turns out that ANY sperm stored in space produces healthy baby mice no matter what animal it was to start with. It's really a puzzle for scientists and a disappointment for astronauts.
The problem with quotes on the internet, is that nobody bothers to check their veracity. -- Abraham Lincoln
It does not surprise me that Spam stored in space shows no degradation.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
"I, For One, Welcome Our New Muridae Overlords" - Kent Brockman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N38z9gYOEIY
Since the ISS in low earth orbit is well inside the magnetosphere what is at all surprising about this finding? More interesting would be to stick a small satellite a high polar or geostationary orbit, maybe a molinya to give a good amount of time in real space with some real solar radiation. Deorbit the samples at the end of the experiment like old spy satellite film canisters.
I swear!
Never realized there were so many Vonnegut fans in Japan
Monstar L
Well, the ISS has a finite lifespan. The parts are all wearing out. The first parts were put up back in ~2000. I hope they burn through all the "what if this is done in LEO" experiments before the ISS is deorbited. Then, earth will go back to having no space station.
You have scientific proof more discrimination will end violence? Otherwise, STFU, FoxBoy!
-5 angry political rant
Table-ized A.I.
The real question is if I fap in space is it cold enough to preserve the sperm allowing me to inseminate entire future worlds?
#spacefap
Sperm Stored In Space Produces Healthy Baby Mice On Earth
This would be excellent news, if the sperm hadn't come from a moose.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Have a couple sent in space, give them private quarter, let them have a little bit of naughty fun, and wait for 9 month. Should be trivial enough to find voluntary people to do it... oh, and we'll save a bunch of public money that way too.
"posing a threat of serious reproductive problems for any space-dwelling organism"
I like how they phrased that. At least those organisms can be safe on all other aspects of life, while they go about their space-dwelling life.
And the right is out committing terrorist attacks of their own. Remind me again who I'm statistically most likely to be killed by in the US... oh wait I remember it's a white male with conservative views. In the UK it's not too different.
I know you don't like facts over there on the political right but sometimes "alternative truths" don't really cut it. Trump tweeting about the deluded little world he lives in doesn't constitute a fact, even his colleagues are having issues with that.
They really bungled this one. They should have tried to germinate in space. This is where the difficulties are going to occur. Stop ignoring epigenetics, people!
Why Evolution is Not What You Think - The Ebner Effect
https://plus.google.com/+ChrisReeveOnlineScientificDiscourseIsBroken/posts/2FcSPmaT4Zn
It sounds like women will be necessary in the first generation, unless artificial womb technology matures. There won't be any need to send men on the first generation of colonists, and we can have a large sperm repository to increase genetic diversity in the first few generations.
The only problem is that it was human sperm.
So now both corporations and pitbulls are people.
Table-ized A.I.