Digestive Research

Explore gastrointestinal health, metabolism, liver function, and nutritional challenges in space environments.

5 Publications
NASA Repository

Featured Digestive Study

Digestive
4 min read

A comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 review, Part 2: host extracellular to systemic effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection

This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence on the multi-organ, systemic effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, detailing how the virus disrupts whole-body metabolism, dysregulates the immune and endocrine systems, and leads to widespread organ damage. These findings are crucial for understanding both acute COVID-19 and its long-term sequelae (PASC), with implications for managing astronaut health during space missions.

ImmunologyHuman PhysiologyCardiovascular
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More Digestive Publications

4 publications
4 min read

Muscle Atrophy During Spaceflight is Linked to Liver-Muscle Metabolic Crosstalk in Mice

Transcriptomic analysis of mice after 37 days in space reveals a strong correlation between impaired lipid metabolism in the liver and gene expression patterns of muscle atrophy. This suggests a systemic, starvation-like metabolic shift, highlighting the liver's role in driving muscle loss and pointing to dietary interventions as a potential countermeasure.

MusculoskeletalMetabolomicsGenetics
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3 min read

Reanalysis of the Mars500 experiment reveals common gut microbiome alterations in astronauts induced by long-duration confinement

A reanalysis of the 520-day Mars500 isolation experiment identified significant, common changes in the crew's gut microbiome. The study found a depletion of key anti-inflammatory bacteria, which correlates with observed physiological symptoms of intestinal inflammation and metabolic disruption, highlighting a critical health risk for long-duration space missions.

MicrobiologyHuman PhysiologySimulated Microgravity
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3 min read

A Single Amino Acid Acts as a 'Clasp Knife Spring' Controlling Bacterial Pressure-Relief Channels

By creating hybrid channels from E. coli and S. aureus, researchers identified a single amino acid at the protein-lipid interface that controls how bacterial mechanosensitive channels (MscL) respond to pressure. This 'molecular spring' dictates both the sensitivity and duration of the channel's opening, providing a fundamental insight into how cells sense mechanical forces.

MicrobiologyGeneticsProteomics
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4 min read

Microbial Emergency Release Valves: How Bacteria Survive Osmotic Shock

This review details the function of two critical protein families, MscS and MscL, which act as mechanosensitive channels to protect microbes from bursting under sudden osmotic stress. These channels serve as 'emergency release valves,' a fundamental survival mechanism with significant implications for controlling microbial life in space environments.

MicrobiologyGeneticsProteomics
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