Handout Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School - SpaceLife An Interdisciplinary Doctoral Candidate Program Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne, Germany Impressum: Description of the Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife) October 2008 Editor: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft‐ und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) in der Helmholtz‐Gemeinschaft Editorial Office: Dr. Christine E. Hellweg Institut für Luft‐ und Raumfahrtmedizin Linder Höhe 51147 Köln Germany E‐mail: [email protected] Design of the front page: CD Werbeagentur GmbH, Burgstraße 17, 53842 Troisdorf SpaceLife ⎪1 Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School SpaceLife Contents Introduction 4 Scientific Program 6 Topics and Doctoral Theses 8 Radiation Biology 8 Gravitational Biology 13 Astrobiology 19 Space Physiology and Psychology 21 Professional Training Program 25 Thesis Supervision 25 Curriculum 26 Management Structure 40 Members 42 DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine 43 Partner Universities 44 Associated Partners 45 Faculty Member Profiles 48 Profiles of the SpaceLife Associated Partners 77 Member Group Locations 84 Application 85 Contact 86 SpaceLife ⎪2 SpaceLife ⎪3 SpaceLife Introduction The Helmholtz Space Life All students attend lectures in Doctoral students from Sciences Research School different subfields of space life Hamburg, Kiel, Aachen and (SpaceLife) offers excellent and sciences to attain an overview of Regensburg attend the lectures interdisciplinary training for the field: radiation and using teleconference tools, or doctoral students from different gravitational biology, block courses will be offered. fields (biology, physics, astrobiology and space Some elective courses take place psychology, veterinary medicine, physiology, including at the University of Bonn and the nutrition or sports sciences) and psychological aspects of short DSHS Cologne. The all countries. In each generation, and long term space missions. spokesperson bears up to 25 students can participate Seminars, advanced lectures, responsibility for SpaceLife. in the three‐year program. At the laboratory courses and stays at SpaceLife is organized by the DLR, up to 13 doctoral students labs at the partner institutions or coordinator and the secretary. will participate in SpaceLife. Up abroad are offered as elective The scientific members of to twelve doctoral students at course and will provide in‐depth SpaceLife form the Faculty which the partner universities can be knowledge of the chosen subfield meets annually. The Faculty admitted to SpaceLife. Students or will allow to appropriate elects a Faculty Panel who assists will learn to develop integrated innovative methods. In Journal the coordinator and the concepts to solve health issues in Clubs of the participating spokesperson in the student human spaceflight and in related working groups, doctoral selection process and in disease patterns on Earth, and to students will learn critical reading formation of the curriculum. The further explore the requirements of scientific literature, first steps doctoral students elect a for life in extreme environments, in peer review, scientific writing Doctoral Spokesperson who enabling a better understanding during preparation of their own participates in meetings of the of the ecosystem Earth and the publication, and writing of the Faculty and the Faculty Panel. search for life on other planets in thesis. The training of soft skills unmanned and manned will be offered as block course in missions. cooperation with other Thesis supervision is close Helmholtz Research Schools. The meshed by two specialist whole program encompasses 246 Supervisors from DLR and the hours and is organized in partner university, and a Mentor, semester terms. Most of the as well as annual progress reports lectures will take place in by the doctoral student in a Cologne at the Institute of Students’ Workshop. Aerospace Medicine. SpaceLife ⎪4 SpaceLife Scientific Program The mission of the Helmholtz In the short term, Aurora fea‐ missions and by investigating the Space Life Sciences Research tures robotic missions while at extraordinary capability of School (SpaceLife) is to contri‐ the same time preparing for terrestrial microorganisms to bute to understanding the space future human exploration mis‐ adapt to and live under extreme frontier and the opportunities, sions. Humans bring speed, environmental conditions. capabilities, and limitations of agility, versatility and intelli‐ A key priority of European humans living and working on gence to exploration in a way human spaceflight activities that frontier and of the spread of that robots cannot. Although it is remains the effective use of the life in the universe. The true that humans will face many International Space Station (ISS) program’s objective is to dangers and obstacles operating in the next 10 years in order to investigate the complex inter‐ on other planets, mostly due to maximize the return on European actions of space environmental their physiological limitations investment. This aligns well with factors and humans or other when compared to robots, the the current German Space Life organisms. To accomplish its potential scientific returns is Sciences Program, in which three mission, SpaceLife implements a more than sufficient to justify main scientific fields have been broad range of applied and basic employing astronauts as field identified in collaboration with scientific research. Thereby it scientists on other planets. the scientific community: links theoretical and practical However, prior to manned integrative human physiology, approaches of radiation missions to Mars, appropriate biotechnological applications of dosimetry, microbiology, basic guidelines and methods need to the microgravity environment, molecular and cellular research in be developed to protect the and fundamental biology of radiation and gravitational planet from human activities that gravity and radiation responses. biology with translational and may be harmful to its In view of planning long‐duration clinical studies. This research is environment; this includes human exploration missions it is accomplished using ground‐ preventing the introduction of imperative that the ISS is used based laboratories, microgravity terrestrial biochemical com‐ for the preparation of these new environments, space‐analog pounds and microorganisms that endeavors. simulation facilities and if could interfere with the search The ISS is ideally suited for available, space flight for indigenous Martian life, to testing hardware developments, opportunities. The long‐term protect the Earth from and to perform long‐term goal is to contribute to the “safe, potentially harmful agents medical studies, related to future sustained, affordable exploration brought back from Mars or even exploration missions to Moon of the Moon, Mars, and sample return missions upon and Mars. These medical studies beyond...”. The European Space return of the explorers. Answers on humans will be focused on the Agency’s Aurora program and to these planetary protection long‐term effects of the US Vision for Space issues need to be available well microgravity, radiation biology, Exploration aim ultimately to ahead of manned missions to and the psychological effects of land people on Mars, although it Mars, e.g. by testing planetary long duration flight. seems certain that the Moon will protection protocols and be an earlier target. guidelines during precursor SpaceLife ⎪5 SpaceLife Scientific Program The European Columbus labo‐ In fundamental biology, questions are adaptation ratory has been successfully questions on the understanding phenomena to a long‐term launched on February 7, 2008 and of the effects of cosmic radiation microgravity environment, the paves the way for the and of altered gravity existence of sensitive windows in implementation of a significant (microgravity and hypergravity) the development of organisms as ISS utilization program which will on living systems as well as on well as thresholds of further advance technical and the origin and distribution of life graviperception.There is scientific progress in human and its evolution, are tackled. particular interest in the long‐ spaceflight. Radiation is an acknowledged term effects of reduced gravity Space life science research em‐ primary concern for manned on the human body as well as on braces the whole range of stu‐ spaceflight and is a potentially multi‐generation experiments dies from molecular and cellular limiting factor for long term with cells and multicellular biology to whole‐organism phy‐ orbital and interplanetary systems. Of special importance is siology. In the important area of missions. Results from numerous to determine potential gravity human physiology and medi‐ space probes demonstrate thresholds for different body cine, research in the space envi‐ heightened radiation levels functions, in particular with ronment has demonstrated the compared to the Earth's surface regard to loss of muscle and bone potential to provide unique in‐ and a change in the nature of the mass, reduced cardiovascular sights into such areas as gene radiation field ‐ particularly the capacity, functioning of the expression, immunological func‐ presence of high energy heavy central nervous system, and tion, bone physiology, and ions. The biological effects of this immune system deficiencies. neurovestibular and cardio‐ extraordinary radiation quality With respect to future long‐term vascular function. These areas and the depths dose distributions