University of Nottingham - Worms in space

Four thousand microscopic worms were due to be sent into space this week as part of a project by physiologists at the University of Nottingham studying muscle loss. The Caenorhabditis elegans worms, which were placed on the space shuttle Atlantis bound for the International Space Station, have been selected because their muscle degenerates in a similar way to that of humans. It is hoped that by studying the worms in space, scientists will learn more about the condition.