NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment, a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA s Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA s GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics systems biology-based approach and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA DNA and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic transcriptomic and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands quadriceps gastrocnemius tibialis anterior extensor digitorum longus soleus eye and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions and thus the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment (RR-1), a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA s Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA s GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics systems biology-based approach and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA DNA and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic transcriptomic and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands quadriceps gastrocnemius tibialis anterior extensor digitorum longus soleus eye and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions and thus the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment, a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment, a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA s Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA s GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics systems biology-based approach and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA DNA and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic transcriptomic and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands quadriceps gastrocnemius tibialis anterior extensor digitorum longus soleus eye and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions and thus the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

The objective of the Rodent Research-7 mission (RR-7) was to study the impact of the space environment on the gut microbiota of two strains of mice and how any changes in-turn affect the immune system metabolic system and circadian or daily rhythms. To this end ten 11-week-old female C57BL/6J and ten 11-week-old female C3H/HeJ mice were flown to the International Space Station on June 29 2018 on SpaceX-15 and housed in two Rodent Habitats. Samples of food swabs from living surfaces and fecal pellets were collected from each animal before launch and regularly during the mission. The mission also involved extended video collection (48 hr video segments per Habitat) to monitor circadian rhythms and on-orbit mass measurement. After 25 days on-orbit half of the mice of each strain were euthanized on the ISS with Ketamine/Xylazine/Acepromazine and cardiac puncture after which carcasses were segmented in three sections and preserved in RNA later. After 75-76 days the remaining 5 animals from each group were euthanized and processed in the same manner. The 25-day dissected carcasses returned on SpX-15 and the 75-day dissected carcasses returned on SpX-16. In addition to the Flight group three ground control groups were also part of the study: Basal (representing the pre-launch state) Vivarium (standard vivarium housing for the same duration of time as flight) and Ground (same habitat in the International Space Station Environment Simulator ISSES). Twenty mice (10 of each strain) were included in each of these control groups which were euthanized and processed on the same schedule and in the same manner as the flight samples. Dissections for tissues from all experimental groups were completed by the PI groups along with NASA s Biospecimen Sharing Program in February 2019. GeneLab received dorsal skin samples from forty C57BL/6J mice: 10 Basal 5 Ground (25 days) 5 Ground (75 days) 5 Flight (25 days) 5 Flight (75 days) 5 Vivarium (25 days) 5 Vivarium (75 days). GeneLab received dorsal skin samples from forty C3H/HeJ mice: 10 Basal 5 Ground (25 days) 5 Ground (75 days) 5 Flight (25 days) 5 Flight (75 days) 5 Vivarium (25 days) 5 Vivarium (75 days). From these skin samples RNA was extracted libraries generated (stranded ribodepleted) and sequenced (target 60 M clusters at PE 98 bp).

NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment, a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.

NASA's Rodent Research (RR) project is playing a critical role in advancing biomedical research on the physiological effects of space environments. Due to the limited resources for conducting biological experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), it is imperative to use crew time efficiently while maximizing high-quality science return. NASA's GeneLab project has as its primary objectives to 1) further increase the value of these experiments using a multi-omics, systems biology-based approach, and 2) disseminate these data without restrictions to the scientific community. The current investigation assessed viability of RNA, DNA, and protein extracted from archived RR-1 tissue samples for epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays. During the first RR spaceflight experiment, a variety of tissue types were harvested from subjects, snap-frozen or RNAlater-preserved, and then stored at least a year at -80C after return to Earth. They were then prioritized for this investigation based on likelihood of significant scientific value for spaceflight research. All tissues were made available to GeneLab through the bio-specimen sharing program managed by the Ames Life Science Data Archive and included mouse adrenal glands, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, eye, and kidney. We report here protocols for and results of these tissue extractions, and thus, the feasibility and value of these kinds of omics analyses. In addition to providing additional opportunities for investigation of spaceflight effects on the mouse transcriptome and proteome in new kinds of tissues, our results may also be of value to program managers for the prioritization of ISS crew time for rodent research activities.