DROSOPHILA MOTILITY, BEHAVIOUR AND AGEING (AGEING)
Research Area: Animal Biology – Invertebrates
Expedition(s): 7 and 8
Principal Investigator(s): ● Roberto Marco, PhD*, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid,
Madrid, Spain
● Raúl Herranz, PhD, Centro de Investigaciones Bioligicas,
Madrid, Spain
*Deceased
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Drosophila Motility, Behaviour and Ageing (Ageing) experiment studies the mechanisms of
the abnormal motility response encountered in space by young Drosophila flies with
consequences on the posterior aging response of the flies. For this purpose, a long-lived strain,
a short-lived strain, and a strain showing an abnormal gravitropic response on the ground are
studied.
RESULTS
Ageing was sent into space to gain a better
understanding of the biological responses in living
organisms after prolonged exposure to microgravity. On
October 18, 2003, a total of 450 Drosophila
melanogaster flies were sent to the ISS for an 11 day
flight to study their motility behavior. Motility behaviors
were studied in 4 different fly strains- short lived mature
flies, short lived young flies, gravity altered flies, and
long lived young flies. In this experiment, the mature fly
strain had the highest motility levels. Previous tests led
scientists to believe the young flies would have the
highest motility levels; however these young flies were
exposed to lower temperatures during transport.
Temperature plays a huge role in motility levels, and
unfortunately skewed this study because only the young flies were exposed and not the mature
flies. Although activity levels were increased in all strains, because of the cold transport, they
did not reach their full potential and a reflight of this investigation will need to be run for more
conclusive results (de Juan 2007).
Once samples were returned to Earth, it was determined that the structural components for
the sensory and nervous system are rather insensitive to microgravity. No observable changes
were found in any of the fly strains. Dendritic and axonal activities remained the same and the
somata size was only slightly altered (Horn 2007).
Although this research line was closed due to the premature death of the PI (Roberto Marco) in
2008, additional work using those and additional altered gravitaxis drosophila strains was
Drosophila chambers. ESA image.