Astronauts on the International Space Station used CRISPR technology to successfully edit DNA in space, an investigation co-led by student winners of Boeing and miniPCR Bio's Genes in Space competition.
The ISS scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to induce breaks in yeast genomes to study how cells repair their DNA in space. The findings could aid in the development of safeguards for future space explorers, who face the risk of genetic damage due to cosmic radiation.
The study, the first to bring genetic modification of living organisms to outer space, was designed by four high school students in Minnesota. After winning the Genes in Space competition, the students worked with NASA microbiologists to further develop the idea and adapt it to the parameters of spaceflight before two astronauts executed the experiment on board the ISS.
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