Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31524: Breathing in Microgravity: Investigating Yeast Respiration Aboard the ISS
- Agnirva.com
- Aug 1
- 2 min read
What happens to one of Earth's tiniest lifeforms—yeast—when it tries to 'breathe' in space? That's the question students from Ben Shemen Youth Village High School set out to answer in their NanoRacks experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Yeast, commonly used in baking and brewing, respires similarly to human cells: it uses oxygen to convert glucose into energy, producing carbon dioxide and water. But does microgravity affect this fundamental biological process? This experiment tested whether yeast's respiration rate changes in the absence of gravity.
The high school researchers devised a small sealed chamber filled with yeast and sugar solution. As yeast metabolizes the sugar, it produces gas, which changes pressure inside the chamber. These pressure shifts were monitored and compared to a control experiment back on Earth.
Why is this important? Understanding how basic cellular processes function in space helps us prepare for long-duration missions where microorganisms might aid in recycling, food production, or biomanufacturing. It also offers insights into how human cells might react to extended stays in orbit.
Results indicated that while respiration occurred, the rate and efficiency were slightly altered, likely due to the changed fluid dynamics and gas diffusion in microgravity. These changes, though subtle, highlight the importance of adapting biological systems to space conditions.
This project not only offered students a taste of real-world space science but also contributed to our growing knowledge of microbiology in space.
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