MARS-C
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Monitoring Antioxidant/Redox Status and Replenishing Nitrogen and Sulfur-Based Nutrients to Enhance Resilience at Concordia (MARS-C): Understanding Integrated Stress Signalling
IRAS ID
274659
Contact name
Martin Feelisch
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The European Space Agency (ESA) runs a research centre in Antarctica as an earth-based model for long duration deep-space missions. Just like astronauts travelling into space, crew-members overwintering at this Concordia base are exposed to a number of extreme environmental stressors; including high altitude (approximately 3800m); extreme cold; long periods of 24 hour darkness or daylight; and complete isolation. We will recruit up to 30 over-wintering crew members working at this station for ESA over a 2 year period and observe how their bodies adapt and respond to the stress of living and working in this environment. We will collect blood, saliva and urine samples, together with ultrasound images of muscle mass and grip strength measurements at regular intervals throughout their deployment to Antarctica. These samples will be transported back to Southampton to be analysed for biochemical levels of stress. During the final month of their stay, all participants will be randomised to receive a daily nutritional drink which is either high or low in targeted dietary supplements. Following similar studies our group has successfully performed over shorter durations at high altitudes previously, we hypothesise that levels of stress experienced in extreme environments such as Antarctica or deep space can be reduced with targeted nutritional supplementation. These findings may become important to members of the public as commercial aviation moves increasingly towards using low space-orbital vehicles to drastically reduce international travel times over the coming decade.
We are specifically requesting REC review as we will need to import biological samples from Antarctica into the UK for analysis at Southampton and these samples will need to be stored in a linked anonymised way. Other ethical approvals are already in place through the University of Southampton for all other aspects of the project (which does not involve the NHS in any other way).
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0648
Date of REC Opinion
16 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion