{"id":18599,"date":"2018-03-15T20:37:16","date_gmt":"2018-03-15T12:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/did-space-scramble-scott-kellys-genes-so-much-hes-no-longer-a-twin-um-not-really\/"},"modified":"2018-03-15T20:37:16","modified_gmt":"2018-03-15T12:37:16","slug":"did-space-scramble-scott-kellys-genes-so-much-hes-no-longer-a-twin-um-not-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/did-space-scramble-scott-kellys-genes-so-much-hes-no-longer-a-twin-um-not-really\/","title":{"rendered":"Did space scramble Scott Kelly\u2019s genes so much he\u2019s no longer a twin? Um, not really"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_404964\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-404964\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-404964\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/180315-kellys-630x504.jpg\" alt=\"Mark and Scott Kelly\" width=\"630\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/180315-kellys-630x504.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/180315-kellys-768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/180315-kellys.jpg 1041w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-404964\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Retired astronauts Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly are still identical twins. (NASA Photo \/ Robert Markowitz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My Twitter feed was buzzing this week with reports that Scott Kelly\u2019s genes were knocked permanently out of phase because he spent a year in space.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the reports made it sound as if Scott Kelly was no longer the identical twin of retired astronaut Mark Kelly, who participated in the genetic study down on Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Scott referred to that claim in a tweet that was aimed at tweaking Mark \u2014 as brothers are wont to do.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=972620001340346368&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2018%2Fspace-scramble-scott-kellys-genes-much-hes-no-longer-twin-um-not-really%2F&amp;sessionId=7b8e42c2f3981bebe3a6f2805bce0f59c46a3480&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"972620001340346368\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801358634332537=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What? My DNA changed by 7%! Who knew? I just learned about it in this article. This could be good news! I no longer have to call @ShuttleCDRKelly my identical twin brother anymore. https:\/\/t.co\/6idMFtu7l5<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) March 10, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Mark Kelly played along:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=974269986352091138&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2018%2Fspace-scramble-scott-kellys-genes-much-hes-no-longer-twin-um-not-really%2F&amp;sessionId=7b8e42c2f3981bebe3a6f2805bce0f59c46a3480&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"974269986352091138\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801358634332537=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I used to have an identical twin brother.   Then this happened\u2026. https:\/\/t.co\/zQAKU4Nbji<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) March 15, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The truth is more complex. The whole point behind the DNA comparison was to see how the effects of long-term spaceflight, including exposure to space radiation, affected the normal patterns of mutation and gene expression. (Because of accumulated mutations, the complete DNA codes for two individuals are not identical, even if they\u2019re identical twins.)<\/p>\n<p>Preliminary results have shown that Scott\u2019s genes did undergo significant changes&nbsp;\u2014 but many of those were shifts in gene expression,&nbsp;due to environmental factors such as oxygen deprivation stress, increased inflammation and changes in diet. If genes can be compared to light switches, then gene expression has to do with which switches are turned on or off.<\/p>\n<p>Another interesting change affected Scott\u2019s telomeres&nbsp;\u2014 the structures on the ends of chromosomes that usually shorten as people age. While Scott was in space, his telomeres actually lengthened.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the changes, including the lengthening of the telomeres, faded away after Scott\u2019s return to Earth in March 2016. But some of the changes in gene expression have persisted. That\u2019s what sparked the buzz, and the Kellys\u2019 banter.<\/p>\n<p>The buzz got so bad that NASA stepped in today with a clarifying statement:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cMark and Scott Kelly are still identical twins; Scott\u2019s DNA did not fundamentally change. What researchers did observe are changes in gene expression, which is how your body reacts to your environment.&nbsp;This likely is within the range for humans under stress, such as mountain climbing or SCUBA diving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe change related to only 7 percent of the gene expression that changed during spaceflight that had not returned to preflight after six months on Earth.&nbsp;This change of gene expression is very minimal.&nbsp; We are at the beginning of our understanding of how spaceflight affects the molecular level of the human body. NASA and the other researchers collaborating on these studies expect to announce more comprehensive results on the twins studies this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The good news is that those comprehensive results should provide new insights into how trips to the moon, Mars and beyond could change the inner workings of astronauts\u2019 cells.<\/p>\n<p>The bad news, at least for the Kelly brothers, is that they\u2019re still twins.<\/p>\n<p><em>For more about the space-gene brouhaha, check out this reality check from Ars Technica\u2019s John Timmer.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Retired astronauts Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly are still identical twins. (NASA Photo \/ Robert Markowitz) My Twitter feed was buzzing this week with reports that Scott Kelly\u2019s genes were knocked permanently out of phase because he spent a year in space. Some of the reports made it sound as if Scott Kelly was no [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5030,5031,5032,190,3726,21],"class_list":["post-18599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-a-year-in-space","tag-genetics","tag-mark-kelly","tag-nasa","tag-scott-kelly","tag-space"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18599\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}