Dr. Palmer and Dr. Leah Solberg Woods presented at the Quantitative Genomics for Space Biology Workshop on May 26, 2021.
Exploration of deep space by humans requires a better understanding of how multiple environmental factors encountered during spaceflight (e.g., radiation, microgravity, altered atmospheric composition) impact biological systems including astronauts, plants, and relevant microbiomes. The goal of this workshop was to explore how tools of Quantitative Genetics can be applied to elucidating traits important to the physiological adaptation of terrestrial biology to environments relevan tto space exploration. The aim is to develop a roadmap for leveraging these approaches through a combination of large-scale ground studies and targeted flight follow-ups. A comprehensive plan for the quantitative genetics approach will contribute to the next decade of space biology research.