Drosophila Melanogaster Gene Expression Under Spaceflight and Infection

NASA used the Drosophila model to compare innate immune responses in flies raised on Earth versus in space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-121). Microarrays characterized gene expression changes in Oregon R strain fruit flies that were uninfected, infected with Escherichia coli bacteria, or infected with Beauveria bassiana fungus. The data was collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and last updated on 2026-03 13.

Use Cases

• Identify gene expression markers for immune response to bacterial infection based on the Escherichia coli infection condition.
• Compare fungal infection response pathways based on the Beauveria bassiana infection condition.
• Analyze the impact of microgravity on baseline gene expression based on the comparison of flies raised in space versus on Earth.
• Study cross-talk between immune pathways by comparing responses to different pathogen types mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled NASA experiment aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-121).
• Includes comparisons across three distinct conditions: uninfected, bacterial infection, and fungal infection.
• Uses a defined biological model: the Oregon R strain of Drosophila melanogaster.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The data format is listed as BIN, which may require specific tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Microarray analysis of RNA extracted from whole Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies under different infection and gravity conditions.

Time Range

Associated with the STS-121 Space Shuttle mission.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:13:24.423610; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data collection involved Earth-based controls and spaceflight conditions aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.