In an ambitious look at the future of space exploration, leading geneticist and keynote speaker Christopher E. Mason is proposing a radical solution to one of humanity's greatest challenges: re-engineering the human body for life beyond Earth.
The Inhospitable Frontier
While science fiction has long captivated us with visions of interstellar travel, the biological reality is starkly different. Christopher E. Mason, the principal investigator of the groundbreaking NASA Twins Study, presents a sobering assessment. "While we can build machines that can survive in space, the human body was not made for space—at least not yet," Mason states, highlighting the fundamental obstacle facing long-duration space missions.
Lessons from the NASA Twins Study
The foundation of this revolutionary work comes from an unprecedented research project where ten separate scientific teams studied astronaut Scott Kelly during his year in space, meticulously comparing his physiological, molecular, and cognitive changes to those of his identical twin brother Mark, who remained on Earth.
"We observed the physiological, molecular, and cognitive changes that happened to Scott Kelly," Mason explains. This comprehensive analysis provided crucial insights into how extended time in microgravity and space radiation affects human biology at the most fundamental level.
A 500-Year Vision for Interplanetary Life
Perhaps the most astonishing revelation is the long-term vision driving this research. Mason describes this work as "the foundation of a 500-year plan to re-engineer biology so that life can be possible on other planets." This multi-generational approach recognizes the profound biological changes required for humans to thrive in environments radically different from Earth.
The research focuses on developing strategies to mitigate stresses, changes, and potential new diseases the human body may encounter during long-term space flight. This represents a significant shift from simply protecting astronauts from space hazards to fundamentally enhancing human resilience.
As the Genome B.C. 2025 Don Rix Distinguished Keynote Speaker, Mason shared these insights in the "Conversations That Matter" series, connecting the iconic aspiration to "boldly go where no one has gone before" with the practical scientific innovations needed to make it biologically possible.
