Building the Space Omics Topical Team to boost European space researchers’ role in the international consortia redefining spaceflight-generated datasets

In a broadening and more competitive space exploration landscape, playing at scale is necessary to obtain results. European researchers share their lessons learned on growing a research program where omics techniques can feed new knowledge, both fundamental and practical, for space exploration. Sending people to new space destinations will require interdisciplinary research centered around omics and personalized medicine, with added constraints of low-gravity and high-radiation environments

Rewritable nanoscale oxide photodetector

Nanophotonic devices seek to generate, guide, and/or detect light using structures whose nanoscale dimensions are closely tied to their functionality. Semiconducting nanowires, grown with tailored optoelectronic properties, have been successfully placed into devices for a variety of applications. However, the integration of photonic nanostructures with electronic circuitry has always been one of the most challenging aspects of device development. Here we report the development of rewritable nanoscale photodetectors created at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Nanowire junctions with characteristic dimensions 2-3 nm are created using a reversible AFM writing technique. These nanoscale devices exhibit a remarkably high gain for their size, in part because of the large electric fields produced in the gap region. The photoconductive response is gate-tunable and spans the visible-to-near-infrared regime. The ability to integrate rewritable nanoscale photodetectors with nanowires and transistors in a single materials platform foreshadows new families of integrated optoelectronic devices and applications.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary Information 7 pages, 9 figure

Female reproduction and the microbiota in mammals: Where are we?

While it is generally accepted that the mammalian vagina contains a site-specific microbiota that plays relevant roles in genital and reproductive health, the existence of an extra-vaginal microbiota in the female reproductive tract (i.e. follicular fluid, oviduct, endometrium, and placenta) is, at least, a matter of controversy. Many conclusions in this field have failed to consider the technical limitations, biases, and confounding factors inherent to next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. While this creates uncertainty in the field, there is no doubt this subject is set to be the focus of new research efforts because of its scientific and practical connotations in female reproductive health. The current art state, its limitations, and gaps in our knowledge about the female reproductive tract's microbiota and, particularly, about the microbes of the extra-vaginal environment are presented in this review. Also are discussed possible relationships between the gut and oral microbiota and reproductive events

Sirtuin 1 regulation of developmental genes during differentiation of stem cells

The longevity-promoting NAD+-dependent class III histone deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is involved in stem cell function by controlling cell fate decision and/or by regulating the p53-dependent expression of NANOG. We show that SIRT1 is down-regulated precisely during human embryonic stem cell differentiation at both mRNA and protein levels and that the decrease in Sirt1 mRNA is mediated by a molecular pathway that involves the RNA-binding protein HuR and the arginine methyltransferase coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1). SIRT1 down-regulation leads to reactivation of key developmental genes such as the neuroretinal morphogenesis effectors DLL4, TBX3, and PAX6, which are epigenetically repressed by this histone deacetylase in pluripotent human embryonic stem cells. Our results indicate that SIRT1 is regulated during stem cell differentiation in the context of a yet-unknown epigenetic pathway that controls specific developmental genes in embryonic stem cells

Heterogeneity and Cancer-Related Features in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Cells and Tissue

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, low-grade metastasizing disease characterized by cystic lung destruction. LAM can exhibit extensive heterogeneity at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. However, the molecular similarities and differences among LAM cells and tissue, and their connection to cancer features are not fully understood. By integrating complementary gene and protein LAM signatures, and single-cell and bulk tissue transcriptome profiles, we show sources of disease heterogeneity, and how they correspond to cancer molecular portraits. Subsets of LAM diseased cells differ with respect to gene expression profiles related to hormones, metabolism, proliferation, and stemness. Phenotypic diseased cell differences are identified by evaluating lumican (LUM) proteoglycan and YB1 transcription factor expression in LAM lung lesions. The RUNX1 and IRF1 transcription factors are predicted to regulate LAM cell signatures, and both regulators are expressed in LAM lung lesions, with differences between spindle-like and epithelioid LAM cells. The cancer single-cell transcriptome profiles most similar to those of LAM cells include a breast cancer mesenchymal cell model and lines derived from pleural mesotheliomas. Heterogeneity is also found in LAM lung tissue, where it is mainly determined by immune system factors. Variable expression of the multifunctional innate immunity protein LCN2 is linked to disease heterogeneity. This protein is found to be more abundant in blood plasma from LAM patients than from healthy women.This research was partially supported by AELAM (ICO-IDIBELL agreement, to M.A. Pujana), The LAM Foundation Seed Grant 2019, to M.A. Pujana, Carlos III Institute of Health grant PI18/01029, to M.A. Pujana and ICI19/00047 to M. Molina-Molina [co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a way to build Europe], Generalitat de Catalunya SGR grant 2017-449, to M.A. Pujana, the CERCA Program for IDIBELL institutional support, and ZonMW-TopZorg grant 842002003, to C.H.M. van Moorsel. M. Plass was supported by a “Ramón y Cajal” contract of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC2018-024564-I) and J. Moss was supported by the Intramural Research Program of NIH/NHLBI

Routine omics collection is a golden opportunity for European human research in space and analog environments

Widespread generation and analysis of omics data have revolutionized molecular medicine on Earth, yet its power to yield new mechanistic insights and improve occupational health during spaceflight is still to be fully realized in humans. Nevertheless, rapid technological advancements and ever-regular spaceflight programs mean that longitudinal, standardized, and cost-effective collection of human space omics data are firmly within reach. Here, we consider the practicality and scientific return of different sampling methods and omic types in the context of human spaceflight. We also appraise ethical and legal considerations pertinent to omics data derived from European astronauts and spaceflight participants (SFPs). Ultimately, we propose that a routine omics collection program in spaceflight and analog environments presents a golden opportunity. Unlocking this bright future of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analyses and personalized medicine approaches will require further investigation into best practices, including policy design and standardization of omics data, metadata, and sampling methods

Challenges and considerations for single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics sample collection during spaceflight

15 p.-2 fig.-3 tab.Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) have experienced rapid development in recent years. The findings of spaceflight-based scRNA-seq and SRT investigations are likely to improve our understanding of life in space and our comprehension of gene expression in various cell systems and tissue dynamics. However, compared to their Earth-based counterparts, gene expression experiments conducted in spaceflight have not experienced the same pace of development. Out of the hundreds of spaceflight gene expression datasets available, only a few used scRNA-seq and SRT. In this perspective piece, we explore the growing importance of scRNA-seq and SRT in space biology and discuss the challenges and considerations relevant to robust experimental design to enable growth of these methods in the field.H.C., P.M., D.B., R.H., N.J.S., J.B., and S.G. are members of the ESA Space Omics Topical Team, funded by the ESA grant/contract 4000131202/20/NL/PG/pt “Space Omics: Towards an integrated ESA/NASA – omics database for spaceflight and ground facilities experiments” awarded to R.H., which was the main funding source for this work. H.C. is also supported by the Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Nottingham (UKRI grant no. EP/S023305/1). S.G. is supported by the Swedish Research Council VR grant 2020-04864. E.G.O. is supported through NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship 80NSSC21K0316.Peer reviewe

A new era for space life science: international standards for space omics processing

10 p.-2 fig.Space agencies have announced plans for human missions to the Moon to prepare for Mars. However, the space environment presents stressors that include radiation, microgravity, and isolation. Understanding how these factors affect biology is crucial for safe and effective crewed space exploration. There is a need to develop countermeasures, to adapt plants and microbes for nutrient sources and bioregenerative life support, and to limit pathogen infection. Scientists across the world are conducting space omics experiments on model organisms and, more recently, on humans. Optimal extraction of actionable scientific discoveries from these precious datasets will only occur at the collective level with improved standardization. To address this shortcoming, we established ISSOP (International Standards for Space Omics Processing), an international consortium of scientists who aim to enhance standard guidelines between space biologists at a global level. Here we introduce our consortium and share past lessons learned and future challenges related to spaceflight omics.European (D.B., H.C., N.J.S., R.H., and S. Giacomello) contribution is supported by ESA Topical Team “Space Omics: Towards an integrated ESA/NASA –omics database for spaceflight and ground facilities experiments” grant 4000131202/20/NL/PG/pt to R.H. S. Giacomello is supported by Formas grant 2017-01066_3. H.C. is supported by the Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Nottingham (UKRI grant no. EP/S023305/1) and by the NASA GeneLab Animal Analysis Working Group. N.J.S. is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX15AL16G). NASA GeneLab members (J.M.G., S.V.C., S.S.R., L.D., S. Gebre) are supported by the NASA Space Biology program within the NASA Science Mission Directorate's (SMD) Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division. R.B. and S. Gilroy are supported by NASA (80NSSC19K0132). L.R. and M.M. represent the Omics Subgroup of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI funding group Living in Space and are supported by JP15K21745, JP15H05940, and JP20H03234. L.R. is supported by JSPS postdoctoral fellowship P20382. D.T. is supported by the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. K.F. is supported by the UC San Diego Department of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, grant UL1TR001442 of CTSA (Clinical and Translational Science Awards). C.E.M. is funded from the WorldQuant Foundation, The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance, and the National Institutes of Health (R01MH117406).Peer reviewe

Space omics research in Europe: Contributions, geographical distribution and ESA member state funding schemes

The European research community, via European Space Agency (ESA) spaceflight opportunities, has significantly contributed toward our current understanding of spaceflight biology. Recent molecular biology experiments include “omic” analysis, which provides a holistic and systems level understanding of the mechanisms underlying phenotypic adaptation. Despite vast interest in, and the immense quantity of biological information gained from space omics research, the knowledge of ESA-related space omics works as a collective remains poorly defined due to the recent exponential application of omics approaches in space and the limited search capabilities of pre-existing records. Thus, a review of such contributions is necessary to clarify and promote the development of space omics among ESA and ESA state members. To address this gap, in this review, we i) identified and summarized omics works led by European researchers, ii) geographically described these omics works, and iii) highlighted potential caveats in complex funding scenarios among ESA member states

Space omics research in Europe: contributions, geographical distribution and ESA member state funding schemes

18 p.-3 fig.-1 graph. abst.The European research community, via European Space Agency (ESA) spaceflight opportunities, has significantly contributed towards our current understanding of spaceflight biology. Recent molecular biology experiments include “omic” analysis, which provides a holistic and systems level understanding of the mechanisms underlying phenotypic adaptation. Despite vast interest in, and the immense quantity of biological information gained from space omics research, the knowledge of ESA-related space omics works as a collective remains poorly defined due to the recent exponential application of omics approaches in space and the limited search capabilities of pre-existing records. Thus, a review of such contributions is necessary to clarify and promote the development of space omics among ESA and ESA state members. To address this gap, in this review we: i) identified and summarised omics works led by European researchers, ii) geographically described these omics works, and iii) highlighted potential caveats in complex funding scenarios among ESA member states.All listed authors are members of the ESA Space Omics Topical Team, funded by the ESA grant/contract 4000131202/20/NL/PG/pt “Space Omics: Towards an integrated ESA/NASA –omics database for spaceflight and ground facilities experiments” awarded to RH, which was the main funding source for this work. Individual authors also acknowledge support from: the Medical Research Council part of a Skills Development Fellowship [grant number MR/T026014/1] awarded to CSD; the Spanish CAM TALENTO program project 2020-5A_BIO-19724 to MAFR; the Spanish Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Desarrollo Tecnológico Grant RTI2018-099309-B-I00 to FJM, the Swedish Research Council VR grant 2020-04864 to SG and the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales grant DAR 2020-4800001004, 2021-4800001117 to ECD. This research was also funded in part by the Wellcome Trust [110182/Z/15/Z] to KS.Peer reviewe