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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.
...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
tored for 9 months in space, exposed to 100x the radiation dose? Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. Or better yet, your published paper supporting your claim.
You're missing the real point here from the headline. They collect sperm in outer space, STORE IT, and when it gets back to planet earth, instead of giving birth to people, they give birth to mice. Now that's messed up.
--Beau--