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Israeli high school students’ research could impact long-term space missions

The study documented the effects of space travel on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Six former Israeli high school students are flying high after their research into the effects of space travel on neurodegenerative diseases was recently published in a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The findings may have significant implications for long-term space missions and open new avenues of treatment for disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The study — conducted both on Earth and aboard the International Space Station (ISS) — was led by the students of the Shehakim School in Nahariya in collaboration with researchers from the University of Haifa and Oranim College.

Research began four years ago, and was published in the June edition of Astrobiology.

“The fact that high school students, most of whom are now soldiers in the army, have contributed to a publication in a leading scientific journal is an extraordinary achievement. It is uncommon in the scientific community and sets a precedent for future research collaborations involving young scientists,” said Haifa University’s Dr. Amir Sapir.

The accomplishment is part of the Ramon SpaceLab program, an Israeli program that facilitates collaboration between students and researchers to explore scientific phenomena in space.

The journey began about four years ago when Ksina Onger, Yair Barak, Amit Yuval, Lia Stekolshik, Linoy Ego, and Yana Aydinov, then ninth graders, participated in a competition to launch a scientific experiment to the ISS.

Under the guidance of their teacher, Tatiana Itkin, they proposed using microscopic-sized worms called nematodes (C. elegans) to study the effects of space travel on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Nematodes were chosen for their unique biological characteristics, such as their transparency and ability to survive for six months without food, making them ideal for space experiments.

Their proposal was selected by leading figures in the Israeli space industry, researchers, and NASA scientists from among 30 submissions.

Neurodegenerative diseases, caused by the deposition of protein bodies that lead to nerve cell death, are a growing concern as life expectancy increases.

The students and researchers genetically engineered nematodes to develop a condition similar to Huntington’s disease, a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain.

The students then monitored the development of protein bodies in nematodes on Earth and those sent to space.

A remote control system was used to synchronize real-time updates from astronauts on the ISS with tests conducted in Sapir’s laboratory.

The students found significant differences between the space-traveling nematodes and those that remained on Earth.

The researchers stressed that it is challenging to pinpoint whether the differences stemmed from changes in the nematodes’ development, or was related to the unique conditions of space.

“Due to the high cost of space experiments, this study was conducted once. Repeated trials are necessary to confirm or refute the hypothesis linking space living conditions with the development of neurodegenerative diseases,” said Prof. Yoram Gershman of both Oranim College and Haifa University.

A link between living in space with the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases would profoundly impact long-term space missions and also open new avenues for treatment.

“If space living prevents the onset of these diseases, we could see a future where space travel is part of medical treatment,” Itkin said.