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Ling Xin

China has sent a living “mini-brain” – a chip the size of a credit card containing human brain cells and blood vessels – to its Tiangong space station to find out how space messes with the mind.
Researchers aboard the International Space Station have previously used brain cell cultures and early-stage brain organoids to study ageing and disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
But China’s experiment appears to be the first time a highly integrated brain chip featuring blood-brain barrier functions has been sent into space.
Launched on the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft on Tuesday, the experiment aims to probe the effects of microgravity on the brain and eventually help astronauts prevent dizziness, sleep problems and changes in cognitive function during long missions, according to lead scientist Qin Jianhua of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics.


The brain model – grown from living tissue including nerve and immune cells, capillary-like vessels and a barrier that mimics the brain’s natural defences – offers more human-like data than traditional cell cultures or animal experiments, Qin told the state-run China News Service on Tuesday.
She said its three-dimensional, dynamic design also allowed real-time observation of how brain tissues behaved in orbit, making it a powerful tool for space medicine, neuroscience research and drug development.
The experiment is part of a growing field known as organ-on-a-chip technology, which uses stem cells and microengineering to build lifelike models of human organs on small chips.
Qin’s team has developed systems that simulate the brain, liver and other organs to study how they develop, interact and respond to diseases, according to the team’s webpage.
These chips aim to bridge the gap between cell cultures and real human biology, and offer a new way to study complex conditions and test drug safety. In space, they could reveal how microgravity affects the body at the most fundamental levels.

Qin said that while both brain chips and brain-computer interfaces aim to unlock the secrets of how the brain works, they follow different paths: the chip recreates brain structure outside the body for research, while brain-computer interfaces focus on decoding neural signals to control machines.
The brain chip is one of 23 experiments aboard the Tianzhou-9 that span life sciences, materials research and fluid physics. They were developed by two dozen Chinese research institutes and universities.
The Tianzhou-9 spacecraft lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre on the southern island of Hainan early on Tuesday and docked with the Tiangong space station three hours later.
The mission delivered 6,500kg (14,000lbs) of supplies, including science payloads, crew necessities, propellant and two new spacesuits, according to state broadcaster CCTV.


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How does space affect the mind? China sends ‘mini-brain’ to Tiangong to find out

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Experiment appears to be the first in space involving a highly integrated chip containing human brain cells and blood vessels


Experiment appears to be the first in space involving a highly integrated chip containing human brain cells and blood vessels.


How does space affect the mind? China sends ‘mini-brain’ to Tiangong to find out

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Experiment appears to be the first in space involving a highly integrated chip containing human brain cells and blood vessels

Experiment appears to be the first in space involving a highly integrated chip containing human brain cells and blood vessels