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Sperm Stored In Space Produces Healthy Baby Mice On Earth (theguardian.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the space-age dept.

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.

27 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. freeze-dried? by OrangeTide · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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
    1. Re:freeze-dried? by msauve · · Score: 1

      "There are better ways to store sperm, freeze-dried would compromise the cellular membrane and render it immobile. "

      Stored 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.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    2. Re:freeze-dried? by Beau1080p · · Score: 5, Funny

      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--

    3. Re:freeze-dried? by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Liquid nitrogen, like every fertility clinic has been using for decades. The radiation doesn't matter if it's dried or cryogenic, angry protons don't care what temperature you are.

      Freeze-dried is nice for an experiment like this because it weights less and you don't have complexities of cryogenic gas venting. But it's not the best way to store cells if viability is your goal.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    4. Re:freeze-dried? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Of Mice and Men, Part 2 (and this time the title even makes sense).

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:freeze-dried? by msauve · · Score: 1
      Just as I thought. You have nothing to support your claim, so you simply modify it.

      OTOH, the authors of the paper were quite clear on why this method was better for their purposes:

      For the present study, we decided to freeze-dry the mouse spermatozoa rather than use traditional cryopreservation methods. When spermatozoa are freeze-dried or evaporatively dried, none of the sperm survive; however, mouse spermatozoa can maintain the ability to generate offspring when added to water and microinjected into fresh oocytes, and this may possible with human spermatozoa in the future. More importantly, such dried spermatozoa can be preserved at room temperature for up to 2 y and in a freezer almost indefinitely. In addition, the samples are very light and occupy a small volume. Therefore, our samples could be launched to the ISS without the need for a freezer, which greatly reduced the cost of launching. The merits of this procedure, in terms of the ease of launching freeze-dried samples into space, are significant for enabling the study of mammalian reproduction in space, even though the production rate of offspring from freeze-dried spermatozoa is lower than that from traditional cryopreservation methods.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    6. Re:freeze-dried? by KramberryKoncerto · · Score: 1

      I think the part you quoted is exactly what's said by GP. From that quote, freeze-drying is indeed often not a good way to preserve sperm (check), but at least they could inject it into the eggs (check), and the main advantage is that the samples are "very light and occupy a small volume" (check) and easily launched into space. The last part can indeed be added retroactively, but at least GP's initial claims check out.

    7. Re:freeze-dried? by msauve · · Score: 1

      The GP made the blanket statement that "there are better ways to store sperm." "Better" can only be relative to the need. The authors decided that for their needs, freeze-drying was the best means. Things other than just long term viability factored in, which the GP simply ignored.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    8. Re:freeze-dried? by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      I've carried a small dewar filled with liquid nitrogen (and human embryos), it weighs thousands of times more than a plastic container wrapped in bubble wrap.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    9. Re:freeze-dried? by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Let me quote myself, because perhaps you overlooked some key points that are consistent and not simply me modifying my position. (I'm responding since you don't smell like a troll)

      Point 1.

      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.

      Point 2.

      Freeze-dried is nice for an experiment like this because it weights less and you don't have complexities of cryogenic gas venting. But it's not the best way to store cells if viability is your goal.

      The second is an elaboration on the first, but the first sums it up pretty nicely. My claims are generally accepted, I can dig up some old papers if you're interested (and I met some of the people that wrote them).

      Disclaimer: I'm not an embryologist by profession, but thankfully we all don't have to be experts in our field to have a rational discussion on an online forum.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  2. sperm = Japanese by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    kinda fits.

  3. Another failure of science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    We need to produce atomic powered super mice, not more useless lab mice

  4. They need to do full life cycle in space by wisebabo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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! :)

    1. Re:They need to do full life cycle in space by michelcolman · · Score: 1

      Then, because humans are not mice, this program may have to be repeated (someday) with (very brave) volunteer couples.

      I volunteer!
      (Already have two kids, would love to make one in space)

      I think you wouldn't have much of a problem finding "brave" volunteers for that kind of experiment, couples would line up for it.

    2. Re:They need to do full life cycle in space by turp182 · · Score: 1

      This is a critical reason we should be focusing on the moon first for colonization and science such as reproduction.

      Magnitudes faster than the same on Mars.

      As well, who wouldn't want to see mice sex in space? If it doesn't work insemination would still be a good test.

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
    3. Re: They need to do full life cycle in space by dpilot · · Score: 1

      Just don't take any motorcycles to Mars. Simple.

      --
      The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
  5. This would be great news, except... by CFD339 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...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
    1. Re:This would be great news, except... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My wife is an astronaut, and we're expecting a litter of mice in a few weeks.

  6. I knew this. by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

    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.
  7. Vonnegut's idea by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

    Never realized there were so many Vonnegut fans in Japan

    --
    Monstar L
  8. Re:More Jihad in Britain by Tablizer · · Score: 2

    You have scientific proof more discrimination will end violence? Otherwise, STFU, FoxBoy!

    -5 angry political rant

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  9. Sperm Stored In Space... by hyades1 · · Score: 2

    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.
  10. Stop with that "precautionary principle" by x0ra · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:Stop with that "precautionary principle" by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Considering the many "amateur" pages on the internet, I doubt that the "private quarter" would be necessary. Just offer a live broadcast and a cut of the profits.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  11. Re:should burn through all ISS experiments by rkordmaa · · Score: 1

    Well China is currently working on it's own space station so I doubt earth will remain without any space stations. Plus US will have a hard time swallowing the fact that they will be without a space station to use while China has one. ISS is indeed aging and in my humble opinion has depleted most of it's usefulness. Not that we are out of stuff to do in LEO, far from that, just that this particular space station has mostly served it's purpose and its past time to start planning the next one.

  12. so, the first colonists will be women by Khashishi · · Score: 1

    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.

  13. Re:More Jihad in Britain by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    So now both corporations and pitbulls are people.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.