New research from the University of Adelaide has found that sperm become disoriented and struggle to navigate towards an egg when exposed to microgravity, raising questions about reproduction in space. The study, published in Communications Biology, used a 3D clinostat machine to simulate weightlessness, causing sperm to 'flip around' and lose their sense of direction.
Lead researcher Dr Nicole McPherson explained that microgravity disrupts sperm's ability to orient themselves, leading to a 40% reduction in the number of human sperm that successfully navigated a maze simulating the female reproductive tract. The study also observed negative effects on pig and mouse embryo development, though healthy embryos could still form.
With plans for lunar and Martian settlements under Nasa's Artemis mission and private ventures like SpaceX, understanding reproduction in space is critical. The researchers noted that adding progesterone, a hormone released by eggs, helped overcome the disorientation, suggesting a potential countermeasure.
The findings also have implications for Earth-based fertility research, as understanding sperm navigation could improve assisted reproductive technologies. Co-author Associate Professor John Culton of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources emphasised the importance of studying microgravity's effects as humanity moves towards becoming a multi-planetary species.
