Recently, reporters learned that six small fish cultivated by the research team from the South China University of Technology School of Medicine will enter space aboard the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft.
Although zebrafish measure only four to five cm in length, they share over 80% genetic similarity with humans, making them ideal model organisms for studying life changes in microgravity environments. Last year, the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully sent four zebrafish to the space station, where they operated in orbit for 43 days, achieving the world's first zebrafish spawning in space.
"Last year's exploration proved zebrafish can survive and spawn in space, demonstrating the stability of China's developed aquatic ecosystem," explained Professor Wang Qiang, the project leader from SCUT School of Medicine. "This year's focus is to study microgravity's effects on zebrafish cardiovascular dysfunction and bone loss, while exploring interactions among animals, plants, and aquatic environment in closed ecosystems."
Space microgravity can trigger various human pathophysiological phenomena, including cardiovascular dysfunction, immune function decline, bone loss, and muscle atrophy. The mechanisms behind these effects constitute a key research direction in space biology. This year's experiment features technological upgrades: the zebrafish cohort has increased from four to six specimens, which will be returned to Earth post-mission for systematic analysis.
The project also introduces gene knockout technology to explore intervention strategies. "Through this technology, we may discover new methods to mitigate microgravity's impacts," Wang stated. "These findings will provide a scientific basis for ensuring astronauts' health in future space missions."
Source: Lingnan on the Cloud
6条斑马鱼将随神舟二十号“出征”太空
近日，记者了解到，6条由华南理工大学医学院科研团队培养的“小鱼”即将随神舟二十号载人飞船一起进入太空。
虽然斑马鱼体长仅4至5厘米，但是其基因组与人类相似度超过80%，是研究微重力环境下生命变化的理想模式生物。去年，中国科学院水生生物研究所曾将4条斑马鱼送入空间站，在轨运行长达43天，实现了全球首次太空中斑马鱼产卵。
“去年的探索已经证明，斑马鱼可以在太空中存活并产卵，这表明我国研制的水生生态系统是稳定的。”本次项目负责人、华南理工大学医学院教授王强介绍，“今年的重点，是研究微重力对斑马鱼心血管功能障碍和骨丢失的影响，并探索密闭生态系统中动物、植物和水体环境的相互作用。”
据介绍，太空微重力可引发多种人体病理生理现象，如心血管障碍、免疫功能下降、骨质流失与肌肉萎缩等，其作用机制是空间生物学的重要研究方向。今年实验规模和技术也有提升：斑马鱼数量从去年的4条增至6条，实验完成后它们将被带回地球，接受更系统的分析。
实验还引入了基因敲除技术，用于探索干预策略。王强表示：“通过这项技术，我们或许能找到缓解微重力影响的新方法。这将为未来航天员的健康保障提供科学依据。”
文 | 记者 李可欣、陈亮、王倩 通讯员 华轩
图 | 记者 李可欣
译 | 钟佳
英文审校 | 王枥焓