Dr. Cihan Taştan, Director of the Transgenic Cell Technologies and Epigenetics Research and Application Center (TRGENMER) at Üsküdar University, and Beyza Aydın, TRGENMER R&D Coordinator, participated in the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025) held in Sydney, Australia. The TRGENMER team presented an original and noteworthy scientific study in the field of space biology to the international scientific community.
MESSAGE Science Mission findings shared on a global scale
Within the scope of the congress, a verbal presentation was delivered at the IAF/IAA Space Life Sciences Symposium – Biology in Space session. The presentation shared findings obtained from MESSAGE (Microgravity Associated Genetics), Türkiye’s first human space biology science mission.
The presentation revealed that LOC (Locus) genes, which have long been unidentified or considered nonfunctional within the human genome, exhibit time dependent and distinct expression profiles under microgravity conditions.
Results reveal significant molecular changes
The research findings were evaluated using transcriptomic data generated from astronaut samples obtained at different time points during International Space Station (ISS) missions as well as after suborbital flights.
The study identified that certain LOC genes respond to microgravity at early, late, or transient stages, while others demonstrate statistically significant changes. These findings indicate that LOC genes may serve as potential biomarkers for adaptation to spaceflight.
Dark genome regions should be re-evaluated
The presentation also emphasized that detected open reading frame (ORF) structures and phylogenetic similarities in specific LOC genes suggest that these genes may possess not only regulatory roles but also potential functional and translational capacity. This represents a significant innovation, highlighting the need to re-evaluate dark genome regions, which are frequently overlooked in space biology literature.
Strong interest from international scientific circles
During post-presentation scientific discussions, researchers from NASA Ames Research Center and Baylor College of Medicine – Space Biomedicine expressed that the study offers an important perspective for molecular level monitoring of astronaut health and biomedical approaches for long duration space missions. Within this context, potential collaboration opportunities for advanced analyses and joint research were discussed.
Türkiye’s visibility in space biology continues to grow
The verbal presentation at IAC 2025 increased the international visibility of space biology research conducted in Türkiye and highlighted TRGENMER’s scientific competence in this field. The outcomes are expected to evolve into new national and international projects, collaborative research initiatives, and interdisciplinary studies in the future.
In this context, the Üsküdar University TRGENMER Space Studies Team has begun scientific preparations for the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) to be held in Antalya.
