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Experiment Overview


Information provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary

The Gene, Immune and Cellular Responses to Single and Combined Space Flight Conditions - B (TripleLux-B) studies the effects of space flight and radiation on the immune function of vertebrate cells in microgravity.

Principal Investigator(s)

Peter-Diedrich Hansen, Ph.D., Berlin Institute for Technology, Berlin, Germany

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Bertold Hock, Ph.D., Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany

Christa Baumstark-Khan, German Aerospace Center, Köln, Germany

Elke Rabbow, German Aerospace Center, Köln, Germany

Günter Reitz, Ph.D., German Aerospace Center, Köln, Germany

Petra Rettberg, German Aerospace Center, Köln, Germany

Developer(s)
Information Pending

Sponsoring Space Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Sponsoring Organization

Information Pending

Research Benefits

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration

March 2014 - September 2014

Expeditions Assigned

39/40

Previous ISS Missions

TripleLux-B is scheduled to operate for the first time on Increment 23/24.

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Experiment Description

Research Overview

• The Gene, Immune and Cellular Responses to Single and Combined Space Flight Conditions - B (TripleLux-B) will compare the mechanisms of vertebrate and invertebrate cells at a cellular level which cause impairment of immune functions in microgravity through induction of gene activation, phagocytosis (ingestion of foreign material) and DNA repair in vertebrate and invertebrate immune cells.



• TripleLux-B will examine the immune function of Mytilus edulis, blue mussel, hemocytes (cellular component of invertebrate blood) compared to rodent macrophages (white blood cells responsible for eating foreign material) to function in microgravity.

Description

Gene, Immune and Cellular Responses to Single and Combined Space Flight Conditions - B (TripleLux-B) will further the understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying the effect of radiation responses, and the impairment of vertebrate and invertebrate immune functions in microgravity, through induction of gene activation, phagocytosis, and DNA repair.

TripleLux-B will compare the ability of the vertebrate and invertebrate immune systems to function in microgravity. For the vertebrate portion of the study, rodent macrophages (large white blood cells) from NR8383, ATCC# CRL-2192 will be tested to determine their ability to phagocytize (ingest foreign material) zymosan (an insoluble carbohydrate that serves as an analogue of bacteria) in microgravity. For the invertebrate portion of the study the ability of Mytilus edulis, blue mussel, hemocytes (cellular component of invertebrate blood) to activate phagocytosis in microgravity will be examined.

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Applications

Space Applications

Conducting studies of the immune system during space flight will provide knowledge and understanding of the effects of space habitation on the immune system. The data from these studies will be used in assessing the cellular mechanisms underlying the aggravation of radiation responses and impairment of immune functions during space flight. Understanding such risks is essential in maintaining the health and performance of crewmembers during long-duration missions.

Earth Applications

With greater understanding of the immune system in space, we can determine new countermeasures for people suffering from weakened immune systems.

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Operations

Operational Requirements

Triplelux-B will require utilization of the MELFI and BioLab facilities onboard the ISS. To complete TripleLux-B operations two sessions of approximately 75 hours must be completed. Video containing the data of the TripleLux-B activities on orbit will be downloaded to Earth following investigation completion.

Operational Protocols

Prior to TripleLux-B activation the following steps must be completed by ISS crewmembers, removal of the specimen from MELFI for thawing, injection of stock culture into the culture medium, reconstitution of the stock culture in fresh medium and measurement of the specimen viability. Crewmembers will then place the specimens in two (2) BioLab Advanced Experiment Containers (AECs) for processing of approximately 75-hours. Following completion of the experiment video data collect by BioLab will be returned to Earth for analysis.

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Results/More Information

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Results Publications

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Ground Based Results Publications

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ISS Patents

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Related Publications

Rabbow E, Rettberg P, Baumstark-Khan C, Horneck G.  The SOS-LUX-LAC-FLUORO-Toxicity-test on the International Space Station (ISS). Advances in Space Research. 2003; 31(6): 1513-1524. DOI: 10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00086-3.


Stojicic N, Walrafen D, Baumstark-Khan C, Rabbow E, Rettberg P, Weisshaar M, Horneck G.  Genotoxicity testing on the international space station: Preparatory work on the SOS-LUX test as part of the space experiment TRIPLE-LUX. Advances in Space Research. 2005; 36: 1710-1717.

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Related Websites

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Imagery

The Advanced Experimental Containment (AEC) hardware for the TripleLux experiments. Image courtesy of ESA.
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