Astronaut Butch Wilmore Congratulates 2023 Winner Isabel Jiang (Video)

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, December 16, 2024 - Last week, astronauts aboard the International Space Station concluded operations on Genes in Space-11, the experiment designed by 2023 Genes in Space winner Isabel Jiang. The project seeks to validate a new way to quickly and reliably detect potentially harmful genetic elements called retrotransposons. By amplifying RNA using a technique called Nucleic Acid Sequenced Based Amplification (NASBA) and visualizing results with a fluorescent molecular beacon, astronauts may have a quick and accessible method for detecting RNA sequences. The results will help scientists develop experiments to better understand genetic dysregulation in space.

After winning the 2023 competition at the ISS Research and Development Conference in Seattle, WA, Isabel and her mentor, Aleks Radakovic, worked with the Genes in Space team for over a year to develop and launch the winning payload in late September. Hear Butch Wilmore's congratulatory message to Isabel below: