July 24, 2019
A phenol found in red wine could be the key to extending astronauts stay in space. I'll drink to that!
Learn about this and more interesting stories from the scientific community in today's issue.
*-- Red wine compound could help protect astronauts on trip to Mars --*
Resveratrol, a phenol found in red wine, could be used to protect the muscles of astronauts during extended stays in space, like on a mission to Mars.
During recent experiments, scientists found the supplement protected lab rats from muscle atrophy while living under conditions approximating Mars' microgravity environment.
Research suggests long periods of time spent in space have a negative of effect on the body's muscles and bones. When gravity is weak, the body's bones and muscles don't have to do much work. And when bones and muscles don't work, they atrophy, or weaken. The major weight-bearing bones and muscles, like the soleus muscle in the calf, are the first to go.
"After just 3 weeks in space, the human soleus muscle shrinks by a third," Dr. Marie Mortreux, researcher Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. "This is accompanied by a loss of slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are needed for endurance."
On the International Space Station, astronauts have exercise equipment to help them maintain the strength and health of their muscles. But on a long-distance space mission to Mars, astronauts won't have the same resources.
Scientists have been looking for supplements that could help astronauts prevent muscle and bone atrophy. The potential health benefits of resveratrol, a compound found in the skins of red grapes and blueberries, have been previously investigated. Some studies suggest the compounds provides anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-diabetic effects.
The latest study, published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, looked at the compound's effects on musculoskeletal health.
"Resveratrol has been shown to preserve bone and muscle mass in rats during complete unloading, analogous to microgravity during spaceflight," Mortreux said. "So, we hypothesized that a moderate daily dose would help mitigate muscle deconditioning in a Mars gravity analogue, too."
To replicate microgravity conditions -- Mars features 40 percent of Earth's gravity -- scientists fitted lab rats with a harness and suspended them from the ceiling of their cages, allowing their feet to just barely touch the ground. Half the rats were fed water supplemented with resveratrol. All of the rats ate the same diet.
During the 14-day study, scientists measured the rats' calf circumference and strength of their rear paw grip.
The muscles of rats who only drank water got smaller and weaker, but for the others, resveratrol almost totally prevented musculoskeletal wasting. Researchers say the compound's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative could help conserve muscle and bone health. The compound may also guard against decreased insulin insensitivity.
"A likely factor here is insulin sensitivity," Mortreux said. "Resveratrol treatment promotes muscle growth in diabetic or unloaded animals, by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in the muscle fibers. This is relevant for astronauts, who are known to develop reduced insulin sensitivity during spaceflight."
More experiments are needed to determined the ideal dosing levels for males and females, and to test for potential complications with other drugs and supplements.
*-- Microsoft designers create replica of Apollo 11 hatch --*
 In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, designers at Microsoft built a replica of the spaceship's iconic hatch, the door that Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong used to exit the command module and enter the lunar lander, Eagle.
The hatch will be used for a live build event, dubbed Project Egress, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Different components of the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia, will be created by 44 teams of makers and assembled onsite.
Live coverage of the build event will be streamed beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
Event host Adam Savage, from the TV series "Mythbusters," requested that designers at Microsoft's Advanced Prototyping Center build the hatch.
"This was a passion project that people put their whole heart and drive into," John Haley, manager of the Advanced Prototyping Center, said in a news release. "They went above and beyond, because the regular work didn't stop. It's going to be amazing to have a piece in the Smithsonian."
Because the Advanced Prototyping Center is set up to build computer components, its tools aren't exactly meant for creating large pieces of equipment. Designers at APC had to develop several small components using the center's 3D printers, laser cutters, fabric splitters and industrial waterjet machines.
The team of makers integrated 211 brass inserts into the design to make the hatch's assembly during the live build event easier.
The design team had to make the door and its components sturdy enough to support the components provided by other makers, but not so heavy that the hatch would be difficult to manage.
"This is not only about providing something that's going to look great, but making the experience as easy and seamless as possible," said Jay Trzaskos, a model maker and prototyping architect at Microsoft.
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