First Virus-Hunter In Space To Test Device To Decode DNA
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CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — A new space station astronaut will be testing a pocket-sized device to decode DNA - tossing the top-level biosafety suits she wore for work on Earth.
Kate Rubins, who studied Ebola and other deadly viruses before becoming an astronaut, will be working with harmless test samples.
As the first professional virus-hunter in space, she will attempt to complete the first full-blown DNA decoding, or "sequencing," in orbit. The device will be delivered to the International Space Station on the next SpaceX delivery. Liftoff is scheduled for Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Rubins says the benefits of DNA sequencing in space are huge, and it could also prove useful in remote locations on Earth.
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