Three baby squid aboard the space shuttle Endeavor had 24 hours to enjoy outer space before they - and the experiment they were a part of - were terminated.
Those 24 hours were all UF assistant professor Jamie Foster needed to get the results she's looking for - results that may shed light on the effects of microgravity on astronaut health.
Foster used bobtail squid, a species that has a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria Vibrio fischeri, as a model for similar relationships between bacteria and the human body.
Astronauts often experience weakened immune systems as a result of space travel.
Previous research has shown that disease-causing bacteria can become more harmful in space, but Foster seeks to examine the effects of space on the body's "good" bacteria, such as the bacteria essential for digestion or immune-system responses.
"Do good bacteria go bad?" she asked.
Bobtail squid use bacteria from their environment to produce light, which help the squid avoid predators by enabling them to move through the water without casting a shadow.
The three squid aboard the shuttle were placed in saltwater-filled, Sharpie-sized tubes.
Astronaut Greg Chamitoff added the bacteria to the squids' environment once the shuttle entered orbit.
After enough time had passed for the squid to absorb the bacteria, Chamitoff added a preservative, killing the squid and preserving their bodies for Foster's dissection upon the shuttle's return June 1.
Bacteria make up 90 percent of cells in the human body. Foster's squid will help scientists understand how the stresses of space travel affect those cells.
"The ultimate goal is to protect their health and reduce any risks for astronauts who may be up there for weeks, even months," she said.
Foster will replicate the experiment and send another three squid to space with the space shuttle Atlantis on its launch, set for early July.
