In spaceflight experiments, model organisms are used to assess the effects of microgravity on specific biological systems. In many cases, only one biological system is of interest to the Principal Investigator. To maximize the scientific return of experiments, the remaining spaceflight tissue is categorized, documented, and stored in the biobank at NASA Ames Research Center, which is maintained by the Ames Life Science Data Archive (ALSDA). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the state of a sample set of tissues from the ALSDA biobank. Garnering information – such as downstream functional analysis for the generation of omics datasets – from tissues is, in part, dependent on the state of sample preservation. RNA integrity number (RIN) values have been calculated for rodent liver tissues that were part of scientific payloads returned from the International Space Station (ISS). Rat livers from Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1) and mouse livers from Commercial Biomedical Test Module 3 (CBTM-3), Rodent Research 1 (RR1), and Rodent Research 3 (RR3) were tested. It was found that mean RIN values from CBTM-3, RR1, and RR3 were suitable for downstream functional analysis (RIN > 5) while the mean RIN value for SLS-1 was not (RIN = 2.5 ± 0.1). Information from this study lays the foundation for future efforts in determining the types of assays that are most appropriate for different tissues in the ALSDA biobank and similar preservation facilities, which would aid in shaping the design of experiments.

In this study, freezing responses of single cells and aggregates (3-50 cells) of Human iPS cells frozen in 10% DMSO solution were characterized using Raman spectroscopy. Intracellular ice formation (IIF) and DMSO distribution were evaluated to understand the difference in freezing responses between hiPSC single cells and aggregates, among cooling rates of 1, 3, 10˚C/min, and among seeding temperatures of -4, -8˚C. Raman images of ice showed that lower seeding temperature (-8˚C) did not affect IIF in single cells but significantly increased IIF in aggregates, suggesting higher sensitivity of aggregates to supercooling. In absence of IIF, Raman images showed greater variation of DMSO concentration across aggregates than single cells, suggesting more disturbance to cryoprotectant transport in aggregates. Lower cooling rates (1, 3˚C/min) combined with higher seeding temperature (-4˚C) were better at preventing IIF than higher cooling rate (10˚C/min) or lower seeding temperature (-8˚C), proving seeding temperature range of -7 to -12˚C from literature suboptimal.

Spaceflight experiments have utilized model organisms for decades to assess effects of microgravity on biological systems. In many of those experiments, obtaining and assessing tissues from only a few biological systems are of interest to their Principal Investigators. To maximize scientific return from space flown experiments, the remaining tissues are captured, curated, and preserved in the Institutional Scientific Collection (ISC) at NASA Ames Research Center. The international scientific community is encouraged to request these available tissues through NASA’s ISC Biospecimen Sharing Program, and conduct research furthering insights into the field of space biology. The purpose of this study is to evaluate viability of tissues which have been archived for differing lengths of time within the NASA ISC. Garnering information from the NASA ISC tissues – such as downstream functional analysis for the generation of omics datasets – is partly dependent on the state of sample preservation. RNA integrity number (RIN) values were calculated for rodent liver tissues that were part of spaceflight scientific payloads. Rat livers were tested from Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS‐1; 1991), as were mouse livers from Commercial Biomedical Test Module 3 (CBTM‐3; 2011), Rodent Research 1 (RR1; 2014), and Rodent Research 3 (RR3; 2016). It was found that mean RIN values from CBTM‐3, RR1, and RR3 were suitable for downstream functional analysis (RIN > 5), while the mean RIN value for SLS‐1 was not (RIN = 2.5 ± 0.1). This work to analyze RIN values of NASA ISC liver tissues will inform future investigators in their tissue and assay selections. This study lays the foundation for future efforts to understand the quality and viability of different tissues archived within the NASA ISC biospecimen repository. Support or Funding Information NASA Ames Research Center

High-altitude balloons (HABs) present a valuable and cost-effective tool for educators and students to access the conditions that are analogous to space and extraterrestrial environments in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Historically, HABs have been used for meteorological measurements, observation, sampling of aerosols, and exposure of samples to upper atmosphere environments. The Earth’s stratosphere allows researchers access to a unique combination of wideband solar radiation, extreme cold, rarefied air, low humidity, and acute ionizing radiation—conditions that are relevant to space biology research. Here, we describe a reproducible payload for a HAB mission that can be constructed, launched, and retrieved for about $3,000. This general standard operating procedure can be used by educators, community scientists, and research teams working with limited resources.