Understanding Respiratory Viral Infection Risk in Space: the role of non-immune cells in simulated microgravity

Start year: 2025

Summary: Human spaceflight presents unique physiological challenges, with microgravity and heightened radiation exposure well-documented. However, a critical and underexplored risk is the increased susceptibility to respiratory viral infections during missions. Historical data across missions, from Apollo to the ISS, reveal the ease of viral transmission in enclosed environments, despite pre-flight quarantine protocols. As we move toward longer-duration missions, a deeper understanding of infection risk becomes imperative. This project investigates how simulated microgravity alters the lung’s antiviral response, particularly in non-immune cells such as bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells—the primary targets of respiratory viruses. It also explores the potential role of corticosteroids as the most widely prescribed anti-inflammatory as a countermeasure to virus-induced inflammation under these conditions. Using a newly developed in vitro microgravity model, preliminary findings indicate altered inflammatory cytokine responses during infection. Building on this, the project will (1) quantify epithelial cell antiviral immune responses and (2) assess the impact of microgravity on viral infectivity and replication. As the first simulated microgravity study of its kind at UTS, this project will establish critical local expertise in advanced space biology techniques, contributing to the strategic objectives of the SRN and help position NSW as a national leader in space life sciences research. The project will be led by Michaela Smith, a 2nd year PhD student from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney in collaboration with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. Zeyu Pang will be an HDR student collaborator from the University of Sydney.