Gravity’s subtle impact on the human genome revealed
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Scientists at New York University investigated how gravity affects the human genome by simulating zero-gravity conditions in a laboratory. They used a random positioning machine to rotate cells and minimize fluid flows, replicating weightlessness on Earth and mirroring the environment of outer space.
The researchers aimed to understand gravity’s role in organizing and functioning the genome on Earth, and how the genome responds to the absence of gravity during space travel.
The team discovered that cells elongated when exposed to fluid flows, but their shape did not change under simulated microgravity. They observed that the cell nucleus increased in volume when gravity was removed, indicating gravity normally compresses it. Despite these changes, the structure of the nuclear envelope and the genome’s overall organization remained stable after 24 hours of exposure to simulated microgravity. Importantly, the study showed that simulated microgravity did not cause DNA damage, while exposure to fluid flows did.
Researchers noted that while the genome proved remarkably robust over a single day, longer exposures to weightlessness and the potential for DNA damage in space could lead to changes in cell physiology.
