Fruit Fly Astronauts?

So it turns out that not just us academic types are using Drosophila these days. The shuttle Discovery astronauts, who just lifted off today, have taken with them populations of fuit flies to study the effects of weightlessness on gene expression. Studies have shown that immune systems of astronauts don't defend against germs as ferociously as they do on Earth. If you get sick in space, it might be harder to get well again. Also, astronauts bones weaken during long voyages, and without lots of exercise, their muscles atrophy. All of these side effects of space travel are rooted in gene expression.

The flies will be kept in special breeding chambers made of clear plastic, where their courtships behaviours, locomotion and flight ability can me monitored. As many as nine generations will be bred during the mission, with as many as 120 flies per generation. From each generation, a candidate sample will be frozen such that mRNA levels can be tested once the team returns to Earth, allowing the team to monitor gene expression. Perhaps most interesting, some of the flies will be submitted to centrifugation to simulate different gravitational environments, such as that of the moon or Mars, to see if prolonged exposure to these environments will affect gene expression.

For further reading, check out the article here.