Fact Sheet
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Facility/Payload OverviewBrief Facility Summary
The Avian Development Facility (ADF) is a middeck locker equivalent facility that contains two independent specimen centrifuges that can be operated to produce inertial accelerations equivalent to 0 to 5 G under feedback control. Each centrifuge has 18 sample containers currently designed to hold one Japanese-quail egg each for the study of development of returned fixed or live embryos. The sample holders are served by a chemical robot that injects solutions into the sample containers under triple-containment conditions.
Facility Manager(s)Information Pending
Facility DeveloperTechshot, Incorporated, Greenville, IN
Sponsoring AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Expeditions Assigned|4|
Previous ISS MissionsADF's first mission was STS-108/UF-1 in December 2001.
Facility/Payload Description
Facility Summary
- The Avian Development Facility (ADF) is for continuing or follow-on studies of vertebrate animal embryo development under different conditions of inertial acceleration.
- ADF has the ability to provide partial-gravity environments with two different inertial accelerations at any given time, including 1 and 0 g.
With small modifications to its 36 sample holders ADF fulfills the need for a wide range of partial gravity studies. In addition to incubating eggs under thoroughly optimized conditions ADF can be used in a wide variety of partial-gravity (as well as micro-gravity) studies when its egg-holding sample holders are converted to containers for cell cultures, model organisms (flies, worms, fish and seedlings) or microbial cultures.
The Avian Development Facility (ADF) provides capacity for 36 egg holders on two identical carousels. Each carousel rotates independently and is served by a chemical robot that injects reagent solutions into one sample at a time on a predetermined program or by remote control. Each sample holder also rotates independently of carousel rotation. ADF provides a snapshot of embryogenesis (embryo development) in space using avian egg specimens as a biological model. Avian eggs are ideally suited for microgravity research because they are self-contained, self-sustaining, and unaffected by maternal host. Its single middeck locker size, compatible with shuttle middeck, Spacehab and ISS, supports flight experiments with Japanese quail or other small eggs and can easily be modified to accommodate fish, plants, insects or cells.
Any sample that can be contained within a spherical plastic container can be substituted for an avian egg in the versatile ADF holders, or egg holders can be replaced with solid cylindrical containers. ADF provides advanced telerobotics and teleoperations to minimize dependence on crew time and significantly improve the science return of microgravity life science investigations.
The ADF is fully programmable in a closed environment system, includes monitored and controlled temperature, relative humidity, oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal. The ADF provides full telemetry capability to downlink data and uplink commands for real time telescience and telerobotic experiment manipulation ADF maintains optimal incubation conditions for embryos from Day 0 until hatch. The ADF can delay onset of embryo development by programming the facility for low temperature environment.
ADF also provides concomitant controls at various levels of artificial gravity by programming one or both of the carousel(s) to rotate. Independent of carousel rotation, ADF turns each egg about its longitudinal axis automatically at programmable time intervals. ADF automatically injects any specimen with chemical fixative (or other liquid), upon active command or on pre-programmed basis.
Operations
Facility Operations
Prior to launch specimens or samples must be loaded into the hardware; a timeline is established for temperature profiles, fluid injections, centrifuge speeds, automated gas exchanges, etc. and entered into the hardware's main computer using its graphical user interface. A catalogued sample or specimen is loaded into each of 18 sample holders on one centrifuge, and control counterparts into each of the 18 sample holders on the other centrifuge. The hardware is late loaded into the spacecraft; on orbit the investigation is initiated as designated by the investigator., One centrifuge is rotated to produce inertial acceleration of 1 G (Earth's gravity) while the other is not rotated or provides a partial-gravity environment. During the incubation phase it is possible to chemically fix single living specimens.
Results/More Information
Two NASA-supported principal investigators experiments were supported on space shuttle flight STS-108. Dr. J. D. Dickman (Washington University, St. Louis) studied the development of vestibular apparatus components and found them to be significantly less innervated when developing on low gravity. Controls were on the ADF 1-g centrifuge aboard the space shuttle. Dr. Stephen B. Doty (Hospital for Special Surgery, New York) designed and completed a study of musculo-skeletal development and found modest, if any, differences in embryonic bone development between 0-g and 1-g flown embryos.
Availability
Related Web Sites
Publications
Results Publications
- Vellinger J, Ormsby R, Thomas N, Kennedy D, Hudson D, Todd P. Providing an Optimal Environment Utilizing the Avian Development Facility for Research in Microgravity. Society of Automotive Engineers. ;2001-01-2289. 2001.
Related Publications
Images
The Avian Development Facility is shown with its top covers removed, revealing its upper carousel and 18 sample containers (non-standard Velcro was attached during the STS-108 mission). Image courtesy of Techshot, Incorporated.+ View Larger Image
Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office