[ti:NASA Sends Squid into Space for Research] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Some 128 baby squid from Hawaii are in space for a study. [00:08.72]The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid [00:12.12]came from the University of Hawaii's Kewalo Marine Laboratory. [00:18.52]They rode on a SpaceX spacecraft [00:21.76]along with thousands of kilos of supplies [00:25.60]for the International Space Station on June 3. [00:30.56]Jamie Foster is conducting the study as a researcher [00:35.00]and doctoral student at the University of Hawaii [00:39.00]under Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai. [00:42.84]The Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspapers [00:47.24]reported that she studied how spaceflight affects the squid. [00:53.00]The research, started in 1989, can help scientists [00:58.24]learn about human health during long trips in space. [01:03.40]Squid have a relationship with natural bacteria [01:07.36]that help control their bioluminescence. [01:10.44]Bioluminescence is when plants and animals naturally give off light. [01:17.40]McFall-Ngai is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. [01:23.28]She said when astronauts are in low gravity, [01:27.16]their bodies' relationship with microbes changes. [01:30.92]Microbes, or microscopic organisms, [01:35.08]are very important to the human body and health. [01:39.64]The relationship "of humans with their microbes [01:42.92]is perturbed in microgravity, [01:45.48]and Jamie has shown that it is true in squid," said McFall-Ngai. [01:51.28]"And, because it's a simple system, [01:54.64]she can get to the bottom of what's going wrong." [01:58.96]Foster is now a professor at the University of Florida. [02:04.12]She also works at a NASA space agency program [02:08.04]that researches how microgravity affects the relationships [02:12.48]between animals and microbes. [02:16.04]"As astronauts spend more and more time in space, [02:20.80]their immune systems become what's called dysregulated. [02:25.60]It doesn't function as well," Foster said. [02:29.28]"Their immune systems don't recognize bacteria as easily. [02:34.72]They sometimes get sick." [02:37.76]Foster said understanding what happens to the squid in space [02:42.36]could help solve health problems that astronauts face. [02:47.16]She said the immune system does not work properly on long spaceflights. [02:52.88]"If humans want to spend time on the moon or Mars, [02:57.40]we have to solve health problems to get them there safely." [03:02.16]The Kewalo Marine Laboratory [03:04.72]raises the squid for research projects around the world. [03:08.56]They are about 7.6 centimeters long. [03:12.44]There are plenty of these tiny animals in Hawaiian waters. [03:17.88]The squid will come back to Earth in July. [03:21.20]I'm Dan Novak. [03:23.60]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM