The Mice Drawer System Experiment & the Space Endurance Record-Breaking Mice

The ability to live for long periods in the absence of normal gravity requires comprehensive understanding of structural and functional changes that occur in the bodies of humans and other mammals. The Italian Space Agency contracted a spaceflight payload (Mice Drawer System) for mice research on the International Space Station, including wild type and transgenic strains. These studies examined changes that occurred in the flight animals in a wide range of physiological systems, such as muscle, bone, organs and glands, blood, brain (and behavior), and neurosensory, and collectively offer an integrative view of the mammal's physiological response to μG.

Image Credit: Adapted from Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ISS image) and Wikipedia User: Rasbak (mouse image)