Gemeinsame Veranstaltung mit dem Italienischen Generalkonsulat:
Talk and discussion with Dr. Walter Tinganelli, moderation: Prof. Dr. Alberica Toia (Goethe-University Frankfurt)
(Event in English)
Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity used by some animals to survive in harsh environmental conditions. The idea of exploiting hibernation for space exploration has been proposed many years ago, but in recent years it is becoming more realistic, thanks to the introduction of specific methods to induce hibernation-like conditions (synthetic torpor) in non-hibernating animals. In addition to the expected advantages in long-term exploratory-class missions in terms of resource consumptions, aging, and psychology, hibernation may provide protection from cosmic radiation damage to the crew.
Moreover, hibernation, used in conjunction with radiotherapy could be the key to fighting cancer in the future.
Dr. Walter Tinganelli will review the mechanisms of increased radioprotection in hibernation, and present the new studies and approaches to induce a hibernation-like state for medical applications and possible impact on human space exploration.
