Fancy changing your genetic code? Quick flight to space will sort you out!
Twin brothers are no longer identical after one of them spends a year in space.
Scott and Mark Kelly are the first identical twins to be astronauts with NASA. In order to study the effect of living in space on the the human body, NASA sent Scott to the international space station for two years.
When he came back, he was no longer identical to his twin. Scott was two inches taller, his body mass had decreased and his gut bacteria had changed.
1st results of @NASA's Twin Studies w myself & @ShuttleCDRKelly are out. Turns out we are related! But there's more: https://t.co/Ov8zV995QR pic.twitter.com/hfAG2s6MMw
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) 28 January 2017
But even more interestingly, he no longer had the same genetic make up as his earth-bound twin.
According to Live Science, the physical and mental stresses of a year in space activated what's known as 'space genes'. Sounds like an episode of Doctor Who, but it's actually a real thing!
The space genes showed alterations in the immune system, bone formation, eyesight and other bodily processes. While most of them returned to normal after Scott's return to earth, 7% of his DNA remained changed. Cool or what?!
What? My DNA changed by 7%! Who knew? I just learned about it in this article. This could be good news! I no longer have to call @ShuttleCDRKelly my identical twin brother anymore. https://t.co/6idMFtu7l5
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) 10 March 2018
According to a NASA statement, the changes are "thought to be from the stresses of space travel, which can cause changes in a cell’s biological pathways."
"Such actions can trigger the assembly of new molecules, like a fat or protein, cellular degradation, and can turn genes on and off, which change cellular function."
This study is pivotal to preparing for longer space missions, such as setting up colonies on Mars.
Looks like Star Trek might be a bit closer than you think!
