The experiment named YUVA (Vesicle Analysis in Suborbital Flight), prepared by a team including Dr. Fatih İnci from Bilkent University’s National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) and UNAM Materials Science and Nanotechnology PhD students Murat Alp Güngen and Nedim Hacıosmanoğlu, will be conducted in space by astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever as part of the National Space Program.
On June 8, 2024, astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever will be conducting the YUVA (Suborbital Flight Vesicle Analysis) experiment in space as part of the National Space Program. The experiment was prepared by Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center’s (UNAM) Asst. Prof. Fatih İnci and his team, including UNAM Materials Science and Nanotechnology PhD students Murat Alp Güngen and Nedim Hacıosmanoğlu. YUVA aims to study extracellular vesicles that are expelled from cell membrane and can facilitate intercellular communication by carrying various biological molecules. Asst. Prof. İnci and his team plan to isolate these vesicles from biological samples collected from Atasever before and after the flight using a microfluidic chip that they developed.
Atasever’s suborbital research flight will take off from the Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America facility in New Mexico, USA. The approximately three-minute flight will host seven experiments in the microgravity environment, including a biological molecule analysis, a radiation analysis, testing insulin pens, and studies on genetics, metabolism shifts, and suppressor cells. These diverse experiments will be conducted across various disciplines and aim to significantly contribute to the ongoing research efforts of scientists.
Tuva Cihangir Atasever, who was selected to participate in Turkey’s space missions, graduated from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University. He then completed his master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the University of California. Following his studies, he served as an avionics system engineer at the national defense industry company Roketsan for five years.
