NASA Launches 'Twins Study' With Twin Astronauts Mark, Scott Kelly

First Posted: Apr 16, 2016 04:40 AM EDT
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NASA's twin astronauts, Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly is undertaking the "Twins Study" that is launched by NASA to perform an investigation. NASA said that the investigation will postulate broader understandings to the insinuating changes and effects that may happen in spaceflights as compared to earth-based environment.

The study focuses on behavioral health, human physiology, molecular or -omics studies and microbiology/microbiome, according to NASA. It aims to protect future astronauts on the stresses that they might experience on space to the human body.

Craig Kundrot, the deputy chief scientists of NASA's Human Research Program, said that this study is a unique opportunity to perform a class of studies because they had one of the twins aboard the International Space Station while the other one is on Earth. He added that they can study two individuals who have the same genetics but are in the distinctive environment for a year.

Natural World News reports that the study was conducted earlier during Kelly Scott's one-year residence in space while his twin brother Mark was here on the ground. NASA said that twin brother Mark, who is a former astronaut, is spending the year on Earth. This enables the researchers to focus on a near-identical comparison of the brothers' omics and genomics profiles.

The twin brothers will undergo lots of examination that include cognitive and psychological tests. They would also undertake thorough examinations for the "Twins Study."

NASA stated that the "Twins Study" includes research techniques to expand NASA's use of personalized medicine. This involves technologies like genetic sequencing. These are used to know the individual responses to the spaceflight environment. It also includes a research from the molecular level to entire body function to brain function, which is being integrated together into one, synchronized study.

The "Twins Study" is conducted in cooperation with the government laboratory expertise, corporations, and universities. These include 10 individual investigations, NASA biomedical laboratories, 12 universities and National Space Biomedical Research Institute Consortium.

 

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