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NASA uses a DNA sequencer in space for the first time
The crew of the ISS just took the first step towards making the orbital laboratory a little safer for its inhabitants. For the first time ever, NASA astronauts have sequenced DNA in microgravity. The experiment was actually a test to see if a MiniION portable DNA sequencer would work in orbit -- so far it does. The samples tested on the ISS produced the same results as a control group back on earth. If further tests pan out, astronauts will be able to use the sequencer to test microbes found on ISS surfaces.
NASA brings a DNA sequencer to space for the first time
SpaceX's after-midnight Falcon 9 launch didn't just advance the state of the art in rocket landings... the cargo it launched is groundbreaking, too. NASA notes that the mission is the first to bring a DNA sequencer to space. The Biomolecule Sequencer will not only demonstrate that you can sequence genes in microgravity, but provide a valuable service to the International Space Station's crew. They can use it to check up on crew health, identify microbes and maybe (just maybe) detect life beyond Earth. It's dramatically more convenient than before, when astronauts had to wait months to send DNA samples back to Earth.
