Jamie Foster of UF is building understanding of immune systems by sending squid into space. Her expertise on squid led to the realization that they are an ideal model for studying beneficial microbes and how human immune systems alter in space.

Foster hopes to join her squids in space one day: “I think it’s possible in the next decade as low-Earth orbit becomes more accessible. It’s an exciting time. If you have an idea, don’t give up on it. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.”

• Jamie Foster