release November 26, 2020 (JST)
Overview
JAXA Biorepository at Tsukuba Space Center
Database of multi omics data
JAXA Biorepository
Biospecimen sharing under the Japan-US Open Platform Partnership Program (JP-US OP3)
Specimens from organisms of mice flown on International Space Station (ISS) are made available for request through the ibSLS Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP). The specimens from three space missions that have been conducted in the Japanese Experiment Module of ISS.
MHU-1
ISS Research Explorer
Mouse Epigenetics
TAKAHASHI Satoru, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Tsukuba
Medical Proteomics
KIMURA Yayoi, Ph.D.
Yokohama City University
MHU-3
ISS Research Explorer
Mouse Stress Defense
YAMAMOTO Masayuki, M.D., Ph.D.
Tohoku University
MHU-4*
Gravity Gateway Reflex
MURAKAMI Masaaki, V.M.D., Ph.D.
Hokkaido University
Who Can Submit a Request
Requests to access JAXA Biorepository must be submitted by a Requester, generally the Principal Investigator (PI) who:
- Is a Japanese or US Investigator*
* Japanese national or US national, resident in the territory of Japan or the USA - Is a permanent employee of their research institution/university at a level equivalent to, at a minimum, a tenure-track professor or senior researcher. This does not include post-docs or graduate students.
- Has oversight responsibility for others named on the request and who will be granted access to the materials.
- Is accountable for ensuring that all aspects of the biospecimens usage align with the terms of the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) and institutional policy.
Note Biospecimens access requestors' responsibilities cannot be delegated.
Note Biospecimens will be provided at no cost for its preparation except for the shipping costs. Requestors are expected to have their own funding to deliver samples from JAXA Tsukuba Space Center to their institution, and to analyze the biospecimens.
How to Make a Request
- You will check the Tissue List, Biospecimen Request Form and Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) before your request.
- 【JAXA Biorepository】Tissue List [PDF: 247.1 KB]
- 【JAXA Biorepository】Biospecimen Request Form[PDF: 50.2 KB]
- 【JAXA Biorepository】Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)[PDF: 164.6 KB]
- You will contact us to receive JAXA's mailing address. Then, you will send two documents below via email to JAXA.
- Biospecimen Request Form
- Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
Note Before your request, you must contact a shipping company in advance to coordinate the shipping plan and get an estimate for shipping tissue samples from JAXA Tsukuba Space Center (2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 Japan) to your institution. You must prepare shipping (import) documentation. See the Tissue List about the storage temperature (-30℃ or -80℃), size (1.5~15 ml) and number of tissue tubes that you will make a request. Cold shipping package must be provided by a shipping company to keep tissue samples at an appropriate temperature during delivery. This will impact on oversea shipping estimate.
Contact Us
Inquiry Form
Request Review Process and Policy
Requests will only be reviewed if all the required documentation noted above has been submitted. The documents will be examined to ensure they comply with the JAXA Biorepository's requirements prior to review by JAXA. The approval process will take approximately four to eight weeks.
Note If documents are missing or all fields needed such as PI's correspondence paper(s) and shipping company information are not filled out, your request will not be reviewed until the documentation is complete.
If your request is approved, the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) will need to be signed by the PI and the Authorized Representative.
Biospecimen(s) will be shipped to your institute.
Note It will take four to eight weeks for sample delivery after your request is approved. Particularly, international shipment is involved then at least eight weeks will be needed for export/import documentation and procedure.
Results from MHU Biospecimen Sharing Program:
- Mao XW. et al. Impact of Spaceflight and Artificial Gravity on the Mouse Retina: Biochemical and Proteomic Analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(9):2546, 2018
- Tominari T. et al. Hypergravity and microgravity exhibited reversal effects on the bone and muscle mass in mice. Scientific Reports, 9(1):6614, 2019.
- Kurosawa R et al. Impact of spaceflight and artificial gravity on sulfur metabolism in mouse liver: sulfur metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. Scientific Report. 11(1): 21786, 2021.
- Nishiyama A. et al. Blood pressure adaptation in vertebrates: comparative biology. Kidney International. 102(2): 242-247, 2022.
- Ouchi T. et al. Upregulation of Amy1 in the salivary glands of mice exposed to a lunar gravity environment using the multiple artificial gravity research system. Frontiers in Physiology. 15:1417719, 2024.
- Ikeda Y. et al. Changes of iron dynamics in the duodenum and bone marrow under partial gravity condition in mice. Life Sciences in Space Research. 46: 2214-5524, 2025.
- Sato K. et al. Lunar life drives jawbone formation. Journal of Dental Sciences. 20(4): 2399-2406, 2025.
