NASA comes out with last video of its twin study series on Kelly brothers

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: NASA has finally released last video of its twin study series regarding metabolic cha nges in retired US astronaut Scott Kelly and his twin brother Mark Kelly.

The US space agency conducted series of investigations to see metabolic changes in identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark.

The findings will provide broader insight into the subtle effects and changes that may occur in spaceflight as compared to Earth by studying two individuals who have the same genetics but are in different environments for one year.

The video titled "Omics: Advancing Personalized Medicine from Space to Earth" which was released coinciding with National Twins Days (August 5), is the last in a series of eight videos which explores space through you by using "omics" to look more closely at the unique health of an individual.

Omics integrates multiple biological disciplines to focus on measurements of a diverse array of biomolecules.

It combines genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics, metabolomics and microbiomics to see a larger, more comprehensive picture of the human body at a fundamental, highly granular level, NASA said in a statement.

The study compares nearly identical genomes of one twin, Scott, on a defined diet, strict exercise regime, scripted daily work schedule, and space stressors, and Mark, the other twin, on Earth engaged in normal life. 

The identical genome comparison allows researchers to focus on the other molecular effects of the integrated spaceflight environment.

Researchers see more molecular reactions between biomolecules than ever before.

(With IANS inputs)