Caenorhabditis elegans: a tiny model animal for space biology research

Abstract

Although space exploration has immense untapped potential, the harsh conditions of outer space pose severe threats to the physiological and mental health of astronauts. Microgravity and space radiation can have a multitude of biological effects, ranging from adverse physiological changes to alterations in gene expression. Therefore, increasing amounts of biological research are urgently needed to devise countermeasures for the astronauts during long-term space missions. In space biology research, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers several advantages over other animal models because of its small size, short lifespan, genetic traceability, and lack of ethical complications. In this review, we summarize the equipment and space research conducted thus far using C. elegans. Several biological alterations caused by environmental conditions in space have been identified, such as genomic, epigenomic, metabolic, muscular and neuromuscular, immunological, neuronal, and longevity changes, thus highlighting the applicability of C. elegans as a model organism. In addition, we explore the feasibility of integrating chemical analysis into space research, as well as incorporating biopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals in the treatment of spaceflight-associated disorders.