This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Built environment microbiomes are shaped by their occupants and the outside environment. These microbiomes can have a profound impact on the health of its occupants. The International Space Station (ISS) is a uniquely sealed environment, with only the arrival of crewmembers and supplies introducing new microbes. Monitoring the ISS microbiome is important to ensure astronaut health and spacecraft integrity. So, a recent study used samples from two long-term projects, Microbial Tracking 1 and 2, which sampled the same surfaces over two 14-month-long periods. The ISS surface microbiome was dominated by microbes associated with human skin. The most represented groups were Staphylococcus and Malassezia among bacteria and fungi, respectively. Community abundances shifted over time, but did not differ between surfaces. Overall, the metabolism genes tended towards amino acid utilization rather than carbohydrate metabolism..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

The app is currently used in a research study which aims to investigate how Augmented Reality can influence STEM (Science, technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and if it can improve pupils interest towards STEM.
Its main purpose is to enhance interest and curiosity levels in STEM, particularly focused on topics like astronomy, space exploration, and space technology.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The Mars500 mission was a psychosocial isolation experiment designed to study the effects of long-term space travel on humans, but it also presented a unique opportunity to study human microbiota. Our microbiota play key roles in our health and are thus important subjects of study. However, it is often difficult to distinguish between resident and transient microbes and to control outside variables, but in the Mars500 mission the subjects were isolated for 520 days while on a standardized diet. Samples were collected during and after the isolation period, and researchers assessed the diversity of their salivary microbiota. While time, diet, and individual subject differences each had a significant impact on microbiota variation, the individual differences between subjects had the greatest influence..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This lesson will discuss the details for a possible future manned mission to Mars. The human risks are discussed and evaluated to minimize danger to astronauts. A specialized launch schedule is provided and the different professions of the crew are discussed. Once on the surface, the crew's activities and living area will be covered, as well as how they will make enough fuel to make it off the Red Planet and return home.

An introduction to our solar system the planets, our Sun and Moon. To begin, students learn about the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They explore energy transfer concepts and use renewable solar energy for cooking. They see how engineers design tools, equipment and spacecraft to go where it is too far and too dangerous for humans. They explore the Earth's water cycle, and gravity as applied to orbiting bodies. They learn the steps of the design process as they create their own models of planetary rovers made of edible parts. Students conduct experiments to examine soil for signs of life, and explore orbit transfers. While studying about the International Space Station, they investigate the realities of living in space. Activities explore low gravity on human muscles, eating in microgravity, and satellite tracking. Finally, students learn about the context of our solar system the universe as they learn about the Hubble Space Telescope, celestial navigation and spectroscopy.

This unit begins by introducing students to the historical motivation for space exploration. They learn about the International Space Station, including current and futuristic ideas that engineers are designing to propel space research. Then they learn about the physical properties of the Moon, and think about what types of products engineers would need to design in order for humans to live on the Moon. Lastly, students learn some descriptive facts about asteroids, such as their sizes and how that relates to the potential danger of an asteroid colliding with the Earth.

In this lesson, students are introduced to the historical motivation for space exploration. They learn about the International Space Station as an example of recent space travel innovation and are introduced to new and futuristic ideas that space engineers are currently working on to propel space research far into the future!