RRRM-2: Mouse Kidney Transcriptional Profiling from Spaceflight Mission

NASA's Rodent Research Reference Mission-2 (RRRM-2) generated bulk RNA sequencing data from kidney tissue of 160 female C57BL/6NTac mice. The study compares gene expression in mice flown on the International Space Station against multiple ground control groups, with animals sacrificed at different mission phases. Data was last updated on the platform in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify differential gene expression in kidney tissue based on spaceflight exposure.
• Analyze age-related transcriptional responses to microgravity based on comparisons between 12-week-old and 29-week-old mice.
• Model recovery dynamics after return to Earth based on data from the Live Animal Return (LAR) cohort.
• Compare spaceflight effects against multiple control conditions (basal, ground, vivarium) mentioned in the experimental design.

Strengths

• Experimental design includes 160 total mice across multiple control and flight groups.
• Data covers two distinct age cohorts (young and old) and two mission sacrifice timepoints (ISS-T and LAR).
• Includes independent ground, basal, and vivarium control groups for rigorous comparison.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Bulk RNA sequencing (ribodepleted) of kidney tissue from mice in a controlled spaceflight experiment.

Time Range

Experimental mission durations of 32 days (LAR) and 55-58 days (ISS-T).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 20:09:51.806468; freshness should be verified.

Geography

International Space Station and associated ground control facilities.