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59698.jpg=Twyman Clements working on the CubeSats - a solar-rechargeable, self-powered Command and Data Handling System with onboard storage and wireless communications.|78168.jpg=Planarian flatworms are well-known for their ability to regenerate heads and tails from cut ends. In the case of head regeneration, some blastema cells become brain tissues, others develop into the eyes. |78845.jpg=The flatworms have no body cavity, and have no specialized circulatory and respiratory organs, which restricts them to having flattened shapes that allow oxygen and nutrients to pass through their bodies by diffusion.|32288.jpg=Flatworms are headed to the International Space Station. Their sacrifice in the name of research gets a salute on the Kentucky Space mission patch. Photo: Kentucky Space |11498.jpg=Space Tango is an entrepreneurial company that utilizes Space to discover, design and commercialize solutions for applications on Earth. Based in Lexington Kentucky.|27593.jpg=Twyman Clements giving a presentation at Ke
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Planarian Flatworms Regeneration
Health Advances Kentucky Space partnered with the Exomedicine Institute and Tufts University’s Center for Developmental Biology to fly planarian flatworms to the International Space Station. The experiment studied planarian’s regeneration mechanism while in the unique microgravity environment. The worms were flown on the SpaceX-5 mission and returned about a month later. Strict temperature control was important throughout the duration of the experiment. Currently, the research team at Tufts University, in Boston, is analyzing the data the results will hopefully be published later this year.
Dr. Mahendra Jain and Twyman Clements principal investigators for Kentucky Space, have proposed an experiment to study regeneration in planarians, which are flatworms capable of rebuilding body organs and nervous systems after damage.
In partnership with Dr. Michael Levin of Tufts University, Kentucky Space will examine the effects of the space environment on these enhanced healing abilities. Gravity, and the lack thereof, influences the way cells behave and their ability to rebuild tissue.
Studying planarians in space may reveal new aspects of how cells rebuild tissue, which could lead to breakthroughs in medical treatments for humans. For example, regenerative medicine has the potential to treat conditions like Parkinson’s, heart disease, or lost limbs.
Our Education Specialist, Nikki Hoier had a chance to interview the CEO of "Space Tango" and Project Investigator: Twyman Clements and ask him about his background, his experience with the project and his thoughts on STEM and engineering.
Listen to the interview here:
