NAISS
SUPR
NAISS Projects
SUPR
Space Biology project
Dnr:

NAISS 2026/4-1004

Type:

NAISS Small

Principal Investigator:

Jeremie Charbord

Affiliation:

Kungliga Tekniska högskolan

Start Date:

2026-06-15

End Date:

2027-07-01

Primary Classification:

10609: Genetics and Genomics (Medical aspects at 30107 and agricultural at 40402)

Allocation

Abstract

Spaceflight exposes living organisms to a unique combination of physiological stressors, including microgravity, radiation, confinement, altered circadian rhythms, and changes in immune and metabolic regulation. These stressors are known to affect multiple organ systems, and increasing evidence suggests that the central nervous system is also vulnerable to spaceflight-associated perturbations. However, how spaceflight affects brain regions, cell types, and spatially organized molecular programs remains incompletely understood. To address this gap, this project investigates the effects of spaceflight on the mouse brain using a large-scale spatial multiomics dataset generated from NASA rodent research missions, including RR-10 and RRRM-2. The dataset comprises 38 mouse brains covering both the cerebrum and cerebellum, and includes flight and matched ground-control animals, different mission durations, age groups, and post-flight recovery conditions. By combining spatial transcriptomics, spatial mass spectrometry imaging, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and single-nucleus ATAC sequencing, the project aims to reconstruct spaceflight-associated molecular changes across brain regions, tissue compartments, and cellular populations. The analyses will focus on identifying regional and cell-type-specific responses to spaceflight, with particular attention to synaptic signaling, inflammatory pathways, myelination, mitochondrial and metabolic regulation, and recovery after return to Earth. The integration of spatial and single-nucleus modalities will allow transcriptional, epigenomic, and metabolic changes to be linked to anatomical brain structures and specific cell populations. This work will provide a spatially resolved molecular view of how the mammalian brain responds to spaceflight and how these responses are influenced by mission duration, age, and recovery. The project is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the biological risks associated with long-duration space travel and to support future studies aimed at protecting brain health during and after spaceflight.