Taking Advantage of Genomics and Gene Editing for Space Exploration in the Next Decade

Mckee, Samuel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1813-0521 (2025) Taking Advantage of Genomics and Gene Editing for Space Exploration in the Next Decade. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society (JBIS), 78 (4). pp. 74-83. ISSN 0007-084X

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Abstract

In order to populate the Moon, Mars, and the Solar System, we will need to take advantage of modern advances in genomics and gene editing to help us survive and thrive. Missions to the International Space Station have seen targeted use of both advanced field gene sequencing devices, and CRISPR-Cas9 for gene editing, to prove the benefits of this technology in spacefaring. To assist in everything from crop growth, radiation resistance, immunology, extreme temperature resistance, and cancer resistance we should take advantage of every facet of genetics. Human genome editing will ultimately be necessary for movement further into the Solar System, but the technology is present to engineer resistance in important organisms whilst the ethics of human gene editing are processing. It is my view that as of the present, not enough discussion is being had in how this can benefit the commercial and governmental sectors, and opportunities are present for further experimentation in research rotation on the ISS and in commercial science missions. Since NASA astronaut Kate Rubins breakthrough missions in genomics and gene editing in 2016 and 2021, there is precedent for further use of CRISPR-Cas9 in microgravity, as well as genomics. Furthermore, recent developments in base editing and prime editing promise more accurate gene editing that should be tested in microgravity to demonstrate the potential benefits of the technology for human survival in the extremes of the Moon, Mars, and the Solar System. In this paper, I summarize the current landscape of genomics and gene editing in space, as well as immediate avenues for advancement in what this technology can do for human Moon, Mars and Solar System missions. I propose that the opportunity is there to solve complex problems for human physiology and food for human population of these extreme environments.