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Yeast In No Gravity: The Influence of Microgravity on Cellular Adhesion, Biofilm Formation and Invasive Growth in the Model Eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YING)
02.15.08

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

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

YING will study the influence of microgravity on the yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). This investigation will provide scientists with data on the impact of microgravity to organized cell structures.

Principal Investigator

Ronnie Willaert, Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Freddy Delvaux, Ph.D., Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
Bart Devreese, Ph.D., Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Jens Nielsen, Ph.D.,Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Matthias Reuss, Ph.D., University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Paul Van Hummelen, Ph.D., Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
Lode Wyns, Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

Payload Developer

European Space Agency - Programme de D?veloppement d'Experiences Scientifiques, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Sponsoring Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Expeditions Assigned

14,18

Previous ISS Missions

Due to the loss of Columbia (STS-107) during re-entry, no data was available from the processed in flight experiment samples of a similiar investigation, Yeast Cell Stress Under Microgravity (YSTRES).

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Experiment/Payload Description

Research Summary

  • YING will study the influence of weightlessness on cell-surface interaction on solid and cell-cell interaction (Flo processes) in liquid media in yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).


  • Weightlessness will have a direct impact on the yeast cell physiology due to a changed gravitational microenvironment and in the case of yeast cell cultivation in liquid media, also the changed shear environment in microgravity will have an effect.


  • The overall goal of YING is to obtain a detailed insight into the importance of gravity and shear stress on the formation of organized cell structures, such as yeast flocs (mass formed in a fluid through precipitation of suspended particles), biofilms (thin usually resistant layer of microorganisms that form on and coat various surfaces) and filaments (fine threadlike structure), which are of considerable interest for both fundamental science and industry as well as the medical field.

Description

The influence of microgravity on ?Flo processes?, cell-surface interaction on solid (biofilm formation and invasive growth) and cell-cell interaction in liquid media (flocculation), in S. cerevisiae will be studied. Microgravity will have a direct impact on the yeast cell physiology due to a changed gravitational micro-environment and in the case of yeast cell cultivation in liquid media, also the changed shear environment in microgravity will have an effect.

The overall goal is to obtain a detailed insight into the importance of gravity and shear stress on the formation of organized cell structures, such as yeast flocs, biofilms and filaments, which are of considerable interest for both fundamental science and industry as well as the medical field. Specifically, the following objectives will be addressed:

  • Influence of microgravity on cell-cell interaction (flocculation)

  • Influence of microgravity on S. cerevisiae biofilm formation

  • Influence of microgravity on invasive growth of S. cerevisiae

  • Influence of microgravity on the Flo processes on a systems biology level
In each case, we will compare similar experiments in normal gravity to experiments in microgravity. The results will help us to understand the mechanisms behind cellular adhesion in general, and the role of gravity in particular.

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Applications

Space Applications

No Information Available

Earth Applications

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Operations

Operational Requirements

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Operational Protocols

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Results/More Information

No Information Available

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Related Web Sites

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Publications

Results Publications

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    Related Publications

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      Images

      imageThe scanning electron micrographs show Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in microgravity (A) and gravity (B). In microgravity yeast cells grow in clusters. S. cerevisiae will be one of the fungal strains tested on STS-107 for changes in growth pattern and physiology. Image courtesy of ESA.
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      Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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