Rebecca Sohn is a freelance science writer. She writes about a variety of science, health and environmental topics, and is particularly interested in how science impacts people's lives. She has been an intern at CalMatters and STAT, as well as a science fellow at Mashable. Rebecca, a native of the Boston area, studied English literature and minored in music at Skidmore College in Upstate New York and later studied science journalism at New York University.
"Astronauts can carry transgenic seeds, which are very tiny — you can have a few thousand seeds in a vial about the size of your thumb — and grow them just like regular lettuce," study author Somen Nandi, a chemical engineer at UC Davis,. The lettuce is transgenic because it contains genes from another organism — genes that code for human PTH.
To develop a strain of lettuce that contains PTH, the researcher team infected the lettuce plants with the bacteria known as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which transferred the genes needed for the plant to produce PTH They also transferred genes to the plant that allowed it to produce the tail end of a human antibody, the disease-fighting protein in the immune system.
The researchers found that the lettuce they produced contained 10-12 milligrams of PTH-Fc per kilogram of fresh lettuce. To get enough PTH from this lettuce to maintain their bone density, astronauts would have to eat around eight cups of it per day, which is a"pretty big salad," as first study author and UC Davis graduate student Kevin Yates put it in a press release.
As part of this study, the researchers did not taste the lettuce because it has not yet been tested for safety. Additionally, the team would need to have astronauts grow it aboard the ISS to see if the lettuce plants contained the same amount of PTH-Fc when grown in space as on Earth, according to the same statement.
This lettuce could have valuable impacts beyond outer space, said the researchers. They suggest that the lettuce could eventually be used by people on Earth who do not get adequate nutrition and are at risk of developing osteoporosis, which puts people at an increased risk of breaking bones.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
NASA's new moon rocket spotted from space rolling to the launch pad (photos)Chelsea “Foxanne” Gohd joined Space.com in 2018 and is now a Senior Writer, writing about everything from climate change to planetary science and human spaceflight in both articles and on-camera in videos. With a degree in Public Health and biological sciences, Chelsea has written and worked for institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, Scientific American, Discover Magazine Blog, Astronomy Magazine and Live Science. When not writing, editing or filming something space-y, Chelsea 'Foxanne' Gohd is writing music and performing as Foxanne, even launching a song to space in 2021 with Inspiration4. You can follow her on Twitter chelsea_gohd and foxannemusic.
Consulte Mais informação »
Weird Circular Objects Observed in Space May Finally Be ExplainedIn 2019, my colleagues and I discovered spooky glowing rings in the sky using CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia. The rings were unlike anything seen before, and we had no idea what they were.
Consulte Mais informação »
Fitz on 4th, a plant-based restaurant, to fill the Fitz & Starts space in Queen VillageThe menu will include “mac and cheese,” lentil meatballs, jackfruit empanadas, socca bites, and ditalini with kale pesto. About a dozen dishes also will be gluten-free. All the wines, beers, and spirits will be vegan, as well.
Consulte Mais informação »
Astronomers Tally the Growing Carbon Footprint of Space ScienceObservatories require electricity and computing power to process data from deep space. Is there a way to make them run greener?
Consulte Mais informação »
Coin honoring Sally Ride, first US woman in space, enters circulationThe U.S. Mint has begun shipping the Sally Ride quarter.
Consulte Mais informação »
Blue Origin announces replacement for Pete Davidson on next space tourism missionJeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, said it will replace Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson with a long-time employee on the company's next supersonic jaunt to the edge of space.
Consulte Mais informação »