Gene Expression in Human Stem Cells Cultured on the International Space Station

NASA's dataset contains gene expression profiles from human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells cultured for one and two weeks on the International Space Station under microgravity, with corresponding ground control samples. The data was used to identify differentially expressed genes and potential master regulators like Cyclin D1 (CCND1). The dataset was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify master regulator genes in cellular response to microgravity based on differential gene expression analysis.
• Study pathways related to cell division and extracellular matrix organization based on gene set enrichment results.
• Compare systemic cellular responses between one-week and two-week spaceflight exposures based on the experimental design.
• Investigate correlations between spaceflight-induced gene expression and known pathways for muscle apoptosis and differentiation.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled experiment with real-time ground control cultures, providing a basis for comparison.
• Analysis identified specific key regulators like Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and impacted gene pathways.
• The dataset is associated with NASA, a leading authority in space research.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Primary cultures of MSCs were expanded at the ISS for 1 or 2 weeks, mRNA was isolated, and gene expression profiles were determined and compared with ground control samples.

Time Range

The experiment covered 1-week and 2-week culture periods.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:10:09.117948; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Samples were cultured on the International Space Station and corresponding controls on Earth.