Webinar: Spatial gene expression analysis of spaceflight effects on mouse heart and brain
Time: Wed 2021-04-07 15.15 - 16.00
Location: https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/69472752713
Participating: Stefania Giacomello
This webinar is part of our monthly seminar series and will be hosted online using Zoom. This webinar will be given by Stefania Giacomello, a researcher at Scilifelab and a part of Space Omics Topical Team which was founded by ESA.
The zoom meeting ID is: kth-se.zoom.us/j/69472752713
We hope to see you there!
Topic
The NASA twin study has shown that several systems of the human body are affected by spaceflight. Exposure to microgravity and higher levels of radiation affect organs differently, and the impact of these changes is directly connected to duration of space missions. Therefore, the understanding of how human physiology is affected by spaceflight is key to lower health risks caused by space travel.
One of the main systems affected by microgravity is the cardiovascular system. To better comprehend these changes, we are investigating the spatial gene expression of mouse hearts that were exposed to the space environment. Specifically, we are analyzing 6 mouse hearts from 2 cohorts: flight and ground control. Samples are studied applying the 10x Genomics Visium technology in combination with single-nuclei RNA-sequencing and ATAC-seq to investigate changes on both gene expression and chromatin accessibility level. We have sequenced 41 Visium libraries, which present 1,242 genes and 6,568 UMIs per spot on average. By integrating single nuclei RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data using computational methods we aim to obtain a holistic understanding of the changes induced by spaceflight on the mouse heart.
In addition, we have extended our study to the brain utilizing brains from mice that were part of the same space mission.