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PLoS ONE Launches the Mice Drawer System Experiment Collection

In August 2009, the Italian Space Agency launched its Mice Drawer System (MDS) investigation on the Shuttle Discovery flight 17A/STS-128. Over the course of a 91-day mission at the International Space Station, the MDS experiment focused on the effects of microgravity on six mice. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the structural and functional changes that occur in animals when there is an absence of normal gravity over an extended period of time.

The new PLoS ONE Collection brings together a number of articles drawn from this long-term project.

The research presented attempts to capture information on a range of mammalian physiological system changes during the space flight. Collectively the articles offer an integrative view of the mammal’s physiological response to a microgravitational climate.

The research was an international collaboration and involved scientists from several countries. With a better understanding of the effect of microgravitational conditions on mice, this research could be applied in ways to help extend the human presence in space beyond low Earth orbit.

Adapted from: Cancedda R, Liu Y, Ruggiu A, Tavella S, Biticchi R, et al. (2012) The Mice Drawer System (MDS) Experiment and the Space Endurance Record-Breaking Mice. PLoS ONE 7(5): e32243. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032243

Collection Citation: The Mice Drawer System Experiment and the Space Endurance Record-Breaking Mice (2012) PLoS Collections: http://www.ploscollections.org/Mice_Drawer_System

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