Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31643: Studying Alzheimer’s Clues in Space: The Beta-Amyloid Peptide Experiment from Calumet College

What happens to the molecules that cause Alzheimer’s disease when they are taken to space? That’s the fascinating question scientists at Calumet College of St. Joseph aimed to answer with their NanoRacks experiment on beta-amyloid peptides aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Under the leadership of Dr. Sandra Chimon-Rogers, this project sought to investigate how the absence of gravity affects the folding and aggregation of beta-amyloid peptides—the same molecules associated with Alzheimer’s pathology on Earth.

In microgravity, fluids and molecules behave differently than they do in Earth’s environment. Without the effects of gravity, the aggregation of beta-amyloid can be observed in a more uniform and controlled fashion. This setup enables scientists to distinguish the real effects of peptide behavior from noise caused by Earth’s gravitational pull.

The experiment was developed in the physics lab of Calumet College and flown during ISS Expeditions 55/56. Once aboard the station, the samples were activated and allowed to develop in microgravity. Upon return to Earth, researchers analyzed the samples using techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

The insights gained from this experiment could revolutionize our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. Spaceflight offers a novel environment for examining diseases that are rooted in protein misfolding and aggregation. Findings from such studies may help lead to better therapies or preventive strategies by revealing structural differences in peptide behavior.

This groundbreaking student-involved project also offered real-world lab experience and inspired young scientists to contribute to biomedical research in space—a field that is rapidly growing in importance and impact.

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