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Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels (WAICO)
05.15.09

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels (WAICO) will study the interaction of circumnutation (the successive bowing or bending in different directions of the growing tip of the stems and roots) and gravitropism (a tendency to grow toward or away from gravity) in microgravity and 1-g of Arabidopsis thaliana (commonly known as thale cress).

Principal Investigator

  • Guenther Scherer, Ph.D., Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

    Information Pending

    Payload Developer

    Information Pending

    Sponsoring Agency

    European Space Agency (ESA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |16|17|

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    • Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels (WAICO) will compare the waiving and coiling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana at different g-levels between 0-g and 1-g by time lapse imaging of the root growth over an approximately 2 week period on the ISS.


    • WAICO will also compare the response of gravitropic wild type A. thaliana with the agravitropic (growth without a gravitational response) AtPLA1 knockout, A. thaliana mutant, and observe root structure (postflight fixed samples), in particular microtubule orientation, to understand how the root structure contributes to the waving and coiling process.

    Description

    Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels (WAICO) will help understand the interaction of circumnutation (the successive bowing or bending in different directions of the growing tip of the stems and roots) and gravitropism (a tendency to grow toward or away from gravity), by observing the waiving and coiling of Arabidopsis thaliana wild type and an agravitropic mutant (AtplaI-1 knockout). Specifically, Verify that circumnutation of Arabidoposis roots is driven by an endogenous mechanism, that is independent of gravity as a cue.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Information Pending

    Earth Applications

    Information Pending

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    Information Pending

    Operational Protocols

    Two separate experiment runs will be performed each consisting of eight double sealed integrated experiment containers (IECDS). The experiment samples will be uploaded refrigerated, with the remaining hardware stored at ambient. Prior to the experiment, the samples (agar and seeds) will be stored refrigerated. After assembly of the samples into the experiment container the containers will be mounted on the rotors of the Biological Experiment Laboratory in Columbus (BioLab) with video observation which will be downlinked to the investigator daily. Each experiment run will last up to 14 days. Following each session, samples will be stored at 4 degrees C while on ISS and during return to Earth.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Related Web Sites
  • The Arabidopsis Information Resource
  • Columbus Mission - European Experiment Programme

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageRoot coiling in wild type Arabidopsis thaliana (a, top) and mutant AtplaI-1 A. thaliana (b, bottom) plants tilted at a 45 degree angle on Earth. Image courtesy of ESA.
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        imageNASA Image: ISS016E031808 - View of Arabidopsis thaliana (commonly known as thale cress) plants growing in an experiment container for the Waving and Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels (WAICO) experiment in the Biological Experiment Laboratory (BioLab) of the European Laboratory / Columbus module. Condensation is visible inside the container. Image was taken during Expedition 16.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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