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| Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) |
| In-Cabin |
| 54 lb |
| Prime: Chiaki Mukai |  |
Principal Investigator: Robert Conger, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Backup: Scott Parazynski | |
Project Scientist: William Knott, NASA Kennedy Space Center |
| Overview |
| NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications is sponsoring Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) 13, the latest in a series of life sciences experiments designed to examine the effects of microgravity on a wide range of physiological processes in higher order plants and arthropod animals (e.g., insects, spiders, centipedes, crustaceans). On STS-95, BRIC-13 will study the effects of microgravity on embryogenesis (the formation of embryos) in orchard grass. Orchard grass samples will be obtained by splitting grass leaves in half and removing 3- to 4-mm segments from each half. The segments from one half will be flown in space; the segments from the other half will be used as a ground control in an identical experiment so that researchers can compare and analyze the effects of gravity and weightlessness on the same plant. During the flight, a crew member will remove the plant segments from the BRIC canister. As the canister warms to room temperature, the embryos will begin to grow. The Block III configuration of the BRIC hardware will be flown on STS-95. The BRIC cylinder can accommodate nine 100-mm petri dishes. |
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| History/Background |
| One of four BRIC payload hardware configurations is chosen for each flight to meet scientific requirements: o Block I: five 82-mm-diameter dual-chamber BRIC-60 canisters in a single middeck locker o Block II: two 82-mm-diameter dual-chamber BRIC-60 canisters, one pair of cryogenic gloves, and one gaseous-nitrogen freezer in a single middeck locker o Block III: three 114-mm-diameter single-chamber BRIC-100 canisters in a single middeck locker o Block IV: nine 114-mm-diameter single-chamber BRIC-VC canisters in a single middeck locker The canisters are self-contained aluminum holders for the specimen support hardware and require no orbiter power. The canisters and freezer are housed in a standard middeck locker. The BRIC Block I, Block III, and Block IV experiment configurations require no crew interaction. The Block II configuration requires a crew member to put on a pair of insulating gloves, remove a canister from the locker, and replace it in the freezer. BRIC-01 examined how microgravity affects the developing gypsy moth's diapause cycle--the period of time when the moth is in a dormant state undergoing development--with the aim of creating sterile moths. BRIC-02 focused on how plant tissue culture develops in microgravity. BRIC-03 studied the development and differentiation of soybeans as well as the effects of microgravity on the plants' carbohydrate metabolism, which provides plants the energy they need to grow. BRIC-04 examined how the hormone system and muscle formation processes of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) are affected by an altered gravitational field. BRIC-05 tested whether cell division changes observed in the daylily (Hemerocallis cultivar, Autumn Blaze) are caused by microgravity or other effects, such as the availability of water. BRIC-06 studied how gravity is sensed within mammalian cells. The processing of outside signals by mammalian cells is complex. Gravity is one signal that is received by these cells, but the gravity-sensing mechanism in mammalian cells has not been identified. To study this intracellular signal transmission, BRIC-06 flew a unicellular eucaryote cell culture of slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) as a model system. The investigator examined the cultures for specific chemical concentrations that are signs of the signal transduction process. BRIC-07 helped investigators discover the mechanisms behind one endocrine system in insects, which may aid in research on endocrine systems in general, including human systems. The BRIC-07 research is important to the space program because space flight is known to affect astronauts' endocrine systems. The experiment began after the pupae, placed in the BRIC canisters before launch, started to develop. After the flight, the pupae were examined morphologically. More than half of the insects were sacrificed so investigators could collect and study their hemolymph, the circulatory fluid of invertebrates that is similar to the blood and lymph of vertebrates, and ecdysone, a hormone produced by insects that triggers molting and metamorphosis. The rest of the insects were allowed to develop to adulthood. During the 24 hours before the adult insects emerged, investigators removed their dorsolongitudinal flight muscles and analyzed their protein content and concentration. BRIC-08 investigated the somatic embryogenesis of daylily plant cells. BRIC-09 studied the influence of microgravity on genetically altered tomato and tobacco seedlings that had been modified to contain elements of soybean genes. This investigation provided information about plants' molecular biology and insight into understanding the transport and distribution mechanisms for hormones within plants. The research could provide crucial information on how to improve growth rates and biomass production of space-grown plants as well as information on how to enhance crop productivity on Earth. BRIC-10 studied the effects of gravity on the growth, development, and metabolic processes in Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco seeds. The investigation used the specimens to identify and clone genes whose expression is altered when the plants are grown in microgravity. |
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| Benefits |
| The BRIC-13 investigation will contribute to researchers' understanding of how the weightlessness of space affects the development of plants. Earlier studies conducted in space indicated that microgravity inhibits the earliest cell divisions that lead to embryo formation, which could result in seeds that are formed improperly or seeds that are unable to produce another generation of plants. The implications are important for the crews of future long-duration space flights because they will depend on plants grown in space for food, water, and oxygen. Better understanding of embryo formation and cell division also could result in advances in medical technology and better pharmaceutical products. |
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