STaARS BioScience-3

jsc2019e041776 (10/2/2012) --- A preflight phase contrast image of vascular endothelial cells cultured on microcarrier beads before being put into the flight hardware. Used for STaARS BioScience-3 experiment. The Spaceflight Effects on Vascular Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Process (STaARS BioScience-3) investigation contributes to a greater understanding of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through the study of transcriptomics of vascular cells. Upon return from spaceflight, crew members often display alterations in their cardiovascular systems, similar to those suffering from CVD. The goal of this work is to elucidate the mechanism of vascular cell damage in the space environment by exposing vascular cells to spaceflight.