Is there a such thing as a “space gene,” that activates when humans are in space for long periods of time? It’s possible. One of the areas NASA looked at during the Twin Study was Mark and Scott’s genes, which are nearly identical (except for some normal mutations) because they are twins. Researcher Chris Mason sequenced their DNA and RNA over the year of the Twins Study and found that there were differences between the two men in over 200,000 RNA molecules. Does this mean that space activated certain genes in Scott during his year in space? It’s quite possible.

NASA is still looking at the very preliminary results of this study, but they've already found some incredibly interesting results. Humans are well on our way to figuring out what the Twins Study means for our future in space.

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[via NASA.gov; NASA.gov; and NASA.gov]

Featured photo via NASA Johnson/Flickr (CC), and final image via NASA Johnson/Flickr (CC)

What Does NASA's Twins Study Mean for the Future of Humans in Space?

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