RR-23: Mouse Quadriceps Muscle Transcriptional Profiling After 38 Days in Space

NASA's Rodent Research-23 mission collected transcriptional data from the right quadriceps femoris muscle of C57BL/6J mice after a 38-day spaceflight on the International Space Station. The dataset features 9 samples from the Flight group, 9 from the Habitat Ground Control group, and 9 from the Vivarium Ground Control group, sequenced to a target of 60 million clusters per sample. Samples were collected in January 2021 after the mice were returned to Earth alive.

Use Cases

• Identify gene expression changes in muscle tissue based on the comparison of Flight, Habitat Ground Control, and Vivarium Ground Control groups.
• Analyze the molecular impact of long-term microgravity exposure based on the 38-day spaceflight duration.
• Study muscle adaptation to spaceflight based on transcriptional profiling data from the quadriceps femoris.
• Investigate potential ground-based control effects based on the inclusion of two distinct control cohorts (HGC and VGC).

Strengths

• Includes a controlled experimental design with three distinct groups (Flight, HGC, VGC), each with 9 samples.
• Specifies a high sequencing depth target of 60 million clusters per sample with paired-end 150 bp reads.
• Provides detailed mission parameters, including a 38-day microgravity exposure and precise post-flight procedures.

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 specialized tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

RNA extracted from mouse muscle tissue after spaceflight, followed by library generation and sequencing.

Time Range

Spaceflight occurred in 2020-2021; tissue collection was completed in January 2021.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:59:36.652935; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Samples originated from mice flown on the International Space Station and processed at Texas A&M University, USA.