Article by Shashini Hettiarachchi
Bone density loss is a severe issue for astronauts in space. This will effect severely in long-term missions rather than short term missions.
Any solutions for this issue?
Astronauts do special exercises to help mitigate these effects.
Exercises may help reduction of bone loss if incorporated with a proper nutritive diet and uptake of nutrients, but these practices can’t prevent bone loss entirely , when it comes to long term space flights. Recently researchers has found transgenic lettuces as a solution for bone loss.
Transgenic lettuces
Recent researches of University of California, Davis has created an experimental strain of lettuce, which could stimulate bone growth to balance the bone density reduction in space.
PTH or Human Parathyroid Hormone is generally a naturally produced hormone which is produced by parathyroid glands. This acts as a stimulant of bone growth. So if these hormone could be administrated to astronauts body , bone loss density could be reduced . As result of this hypothesis , UC Davis was able to produce these transgenic lettuces.
What is transgenic ? This refers to organisms whose genome has been changed by introducing genes from another organism of a different species, by using genetic engineering techniques.
Science behind these lettuces.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a bacteria that can transfer genes to plants, which could produce both PTH and human antibodies. So this bacteria was used to produce these lettuces which could be taken into consumption in space as a salad. According to the researchers 1Kg of lettuces contain 10 – 12 milligrams of PTH-fc .In order to get the required amount of this hormone astronauts should at least take 8 cups per day. (According to a press release done by first study Author UC Davis). However these lettuces are still under research, because this hasn’t been tasted for safety yet.
Further more it is being stated that these lettuces could also be used for patients who suffer from osteoporosis and who are at a risk of breaking bones.
Can astronauts grow lettuces in space?
Astronauts have already grown two types of general regular lettuces in ISS(International Space Station). Other than lettuces they also have successfully grown mustards, radishes , Chile peppers , through advance plant habitat experiments.