MICE IN SPACE: TACONIC MICE INCLUDED ON LAUNCH TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

HUDSON, N.Y., June 2 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launches today bound for the International Space Station, they will be joined by 40 special mice, bred specifically for this mission by Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in genetically engineered mouse models and associated services.

The project is a collaboration between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), BioServe, and NASA. For this mission, named “Rodent Research-5”, the Taconic mice support research lead by Dr. Chia Soo, professor of surgery at UCLA Schools of Dentistry, Engineering and Medicine. The study leverages the molecule NELL-1, a protein produced by the human body that is critical for normal bone growth and development.

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