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Molecular muscle experiment: hardware and operational lessons for future astrobiology space experiments

Molecular muscle experiment: hardware and operational lessons for future astrobiology space experiments
Molecular muscle experiment: hardware and operational lessons for future astrobiology space experiments
Biology experiments in space seek to increase our understanding of what happens to life beyond Earth and how we can safely send life beyond Earth. Spaceflight is associated with many (mal)adaptations in physiology, including decline in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, vestibular, and immune systems. Biological experiments in space are inherently challenging to implement. Development of hardware and validation of experimental conditions are critical to ensure the collection of high-quality data. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has been studied in space for more than 20 years to better understand spaceflight-induced (patho)physiology, particularly spaceflight-induced muscle decline. These experiments have used a variety of hardware configurations. Despite this, hardware used in the past was not available for our most recent experiment, the Molecular Muscle Experiment (MME). Therefore, we had to design and validate flight hardware for MME. MME provides a contemporary example of many of the challenges faced by researchers conducting C. elegans experiments onboard the International Space Station. Here, we describe the hardware selection and validation, in addition to the ground-based experiment scientific validation testing. These experiences and operational solutions allow others to replicate and/or improve our experimental design on future missions.
1531-1074
925-1023
Pollard, Amelia K.
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Gaffney, Christopher J.
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Deane, Colleen S.
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Balsamo, Michele
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Cooke, Michael
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Ellwood, Rebecca A.
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Hewitt, Jennifer E.
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Mierzwa, Beata E
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Mariani, Alessandro
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Vanapalli, Siva A.
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Etheridge, Timothy
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Szewczyk, Nathaniel
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Pollard, Amelia K.
a8d9b2b4-8f17-4bf1-808a-05165361ee50
Gaffney, Christopher J.
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Deane, Colleen S.
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Balsamo, Michele
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Cooke, Michael
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Ellwood, Rebecca A.
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Hewitt, Jennifer E.
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Mierzwa, Beata E
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Mariani, Alessandro
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Vanapalli, Siva A.
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Etheridge, Timothy
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Szewczyk, Nathaniel
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Pollard, Amelia K., Gaffney, Christopher J., Deane, Colleen S., Balsamo, Michele, Cooke, Michael, Ellwood, Rebecca A., Hewitt, Jennifer E., Mierzwa, Beata E, Mariani, Alessandro, Vanapalli, Siva A., Etheridge, Timothy and Szewczyk, Nathaniel (2020) Molecular muscle experiment: hardware and operational lessons for future astrobiology space experiments. Astrobiology, 20 (8), 925-1023. (doi:10.1089/ast.2019.2181).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Biology experiments in space seek to increase our understanding of what happens to life beyond Earth and how we can safely send life beyond Earth. Spaceflight is associated with many (mal)adaptations in physiology, including decline in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, vestibular, and immune systems. Biological experiments in space are inherently challenging to implement. Development of hardware and validation of experimental conditions are critical to ensure the collection of high-quality data. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has been studied in space for more than 20 years to better understand spaceflight-induced (patho)physiology, particularly spaceflight-induced muscle decline. These experiments have used a variety of hardware configurations. Despite this, hardware used in the past was not available for our most recent experiment, the Molecular Muscle Experiment (MME). Therefore, we had to design and validate flight hardware for MME. MME provides a contemporary example of many of the challenges faced by researchers conducting C. elegans experiments onboard the International Space Station. Here, we describe the hardware selection and validation, in addition to the ground-based experiment scientific validation testing. These experiences and operational solutions allow others to replicate and/or improve our experimental design on future missions.

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Accepted/In Press date: 3 March 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 8 April 2020
Published date: 6 August 2020

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 483353
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/483353
ISSN: 1531-1074
PURE UUID: 41e32a93-6ecd-4c89-9a73-f726a7d68479
ORCID for Colleen S. Deane: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2281-6479

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Date deposited: 30 Oct 2023 07:58
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:15

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Contributors

Author: Amelia K. Pollard
Author: Christopher J. Gaffney
Author: Colleen S. Deane ORCID iD
Author: Michele Balsamo
Author: Michael Cooke
Author: Rebecca A. Ellwood
Author: Jennifer E. Hewitt
Author: Beata E Mierzwa
Author: Alessandro Mariani
Author: Siva A. Vanapalli
Author: Timothy Etheridge
Author: Nathaniel Szewczyk

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