Some years ago, the scientist has already developed an optical method for the detection of DNA strand breaks and its repair after an exposition of cells with certain chemical substances (so-called FADU method) at the Chair of Prof. Alexander Bürkle in Konstanz. For this method, together with Prof. Bürke she won the Ursula M. Händel animal protection research prize, awarded by the German Research Association in 2011. With the procedure slight changes in the cells as a reaction to a substance can be discovered, which would otherwise remain unnoticed, but could have drastic consequences on the organism, for instance in form of a mutation, cancer or a sudden cell death. The FADU process is already used in both research and industry.

In the coming months, Dr. Moreno-Villanueva wants to develop the diagnostic procedure so that it can be used in space. Goal is, to detect genotoxic influences by cosmic irradiation e.g. with their method, which uses human cells from blood samples. These findings are particularly important, since aerospace plans to send humans to Mars for a two-year flight in the foreseeable future.

Source:
http://www.bionity.com/de/news/163905/pipettieren-im-weltraum.html?WT.mc_id=ca0264