Space station advances muscle and semiconductor science

Space station advances muscle and semiconductor science
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2025

The microgravity and radiation of space present not only risks to human health but also rare opportunities for breakthroughs in science and medicine, Chinese researchers say.

This dual nature of the space environment came into focus when two NASA astronauts returned from a prolonged nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station, visibly weakened. The challenges they faced underscore persistent health concerns for long-duration space missions, which Chinese scientists are actively working to address.

"Muscle atrophy is one of the significant physiological changes in a microgravity environment," said Li Yuying, associate researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Li's team is exploring biological processes in space to inform treatments for muscle deterioration on Earth.

After the launch of China's Tianhe core module in 2021 and the addition of the Wentian and Mengtian labs in 2022, the country's space station became fully operational. In November 2022, Li's group sent samples of mouse muscle cells aboard the Tianzhou 5 cargo ship to conduct microgravity experiments in the Wentian module.

Inside its biotech lab, the team successfully cultured and differentiated muscle cells in orbit, observing cell fusion and muscle fiber development under weightless conditions for the first time. They also pinpointed a gene linked to autophagy, the cellular recycling mechanism.

"We were the first to use a skeletal muscle cell autophagy fluorescence reporting system to analyze the effects of space microgravity on muscle cell autophagy. This led to discovering the mechanisms and potential molecular targets related to muscle atrophy in space," Li explained.

Li noted the research could help sustain astronaut health using tailored drugs, nutrition, or fitness regimes. The insights could also aid treatment of conditions like sarcopenia or muscle loss in bedridden patients on Earth.

Gu Yidong, chief scientist at the China Manned Space Agency, highlighted the broader scientific potential of the space station. He noted that more than 1,000 research projects are planned over the next 10 to 15 years, spanning basic biology, biotechnology, ecology, and the origin of life.

"Nearly 100 academicians from the CAS and thousands of experts collaborated to plan the station's research projects, covering fields such as space life sciences, human studies, microgravity physical sciences, space astronomy and new space technologies," Gu stated.

He emphasized the space station's role in enabling advanced science and application-driven research, calling it the product of 30 years of work by multiple generations and a platform for significant technological and scientific progress.

Outfitted with over 20 internal research cabinets and three external platforms, the station is also preparing to launch major instruments like the two-meter China Space Station Telescope. According to Gu, it will further international cooperation and scientific outreach.

Already, researchers have achieved milestones aboard the station, including creating new rice varieties, transforming embryonic stem cells, and sustaining the longest space-based aquatic ecosystem. To date, the station has hosted 21 astronauts through eight crewed missions and seven cargo runs. Reports from the China Manned Space Agency indicate more than 180 research projects have yielded 265 terabytes of data, over 150 patents, and several applied outcomes.

Among recent advances, Liu Xuechao from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics and Jin Min from Shanghai Dianji University have utilized space facilities to enhance semiconductor materials research.

"Semiconductor materials play an irreplaceable role in fields such as integrated circuits, communications, photovoltaics, and aerospace," Liu said.

He explained that growing semiconductor crystals in space eliminates disruptive forces like convection and sedimentation found on Earth, resulting in purer materials. Liu's team cultivated Indium Selenide (InSe), a bendable semiconductor ideal for flexible thermoelectric devices.

"InSe semiconductor crystals not only possess excellent physical properties typical of traditional semiconductors, but can also undergo plastic deformation and mechanical processing like metals. This provides a new path for designing and applying next-gen electronic devices," Liu explained.

Liu added that InSe shows promise in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and photodetectors. After 70 hours in the station's high-temperature materials science cabinet, his team retrieved an intact InSe crystal that had expanded in microgravity. The resulting sample had virtually no defects in areas untouched by container walls.

"This breakthrough expands development opportunities substantially, promising improved transistor performance," Liu said. "Our future studies will build on this sample, aiming for commercial production of this semiconductor material soon."