Spaceflight multi-omics reveals vulnerabilities of human germ cell development

Exposure to microgravity, cosmic radiation, and other spaceflight conditions induces significant physiological adaptations in biological systems. While prior studies have characterized effects on stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, the biological impacts of spaceflight on human germ cell development remain unexplored. To address this gap, we deployed automated experimental platforms aboard China's Tianzhou-1 (TZ-1) and Tianzhou-6 spacecraft, enabling fluorescent morphological analysis and multi-omics profiling of stem cell derivatives under orbital conditions. These systems incorporated live-cell imaging, remote operation interfaces from Earth, and integrated sample preservation for time-point-specific specimen capture. Our experiments revealed that spaceflight significantly reduced germ cell yields and dysregulated translational profiles, particularly in cytoskeletal organization and extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction pathways. However, whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide methylation analyses confirmed genomic stability, with no statistically significant mutations during short-term spaceflight. This work establishes an automated platform for real-time analysis of human germ cell differentiation in orbital microgravity and provides a foundation for future space biology research.