Space biology is a rapidly advancing field that investigates how spaceflight-related stressors, such as microgravity, radiation, and isolation, impact biological systems. With implications for astronaut health, human adaptation to space, and terrestrial conditions, including aging and disease, the research area is gaining increasing significance.

This collection brings together innovative, peer-reviewed methodologies for studying the physiological and molecular effects of space environments. It features cutting-edge protocols for in vitro, in vivo, and multi-omics approaches, enabling researchers to investigate a wide range of biological systems—from microbes and plants to animal models and human cell cultures.

Methodologies may include, for example:

• Simulated microgravity models (e.g., clinostats, random positioning machines, rotating wall vessels)
• Radiation-based experiments
• Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling in spaceflight or analog conditions
• Organ-on-a-chip platforms adapted for space research
• Long-duration culture systems for space analog studies
• Animal model protocols for assessing musculoskeletal, immune, and cardiovascular responses to microgravity
• Plant-based experiments examining root architecture, photosynthesis, or stress signaling under altered gravity or in lunar regolith

By offering a centralized resource of standardized and reproducible techniques, this Methods Collection aims to accelerate discoveries in space biology, facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration, and support the development of effective countermeasures to protect astronaut health. It also provides valuable insights into mechanisms relevant to aging, immune dysfunction, musculoskeletal degradation, and other conditions affected by extreme environments.

We invite contributions from across the global research community and look forward to advancing the frontiers of space biology together.