The Wet Lab-2 Parra Investigation is a spaceflight experiment designed to test the new Debubbler unit designed for the Wet Lab-2 research platform, which is used to conduct quantitative, real-time gene expression analyses aboard the International Space Station. The samples analyzed in Wet Lab-2 are often in liquid form, and easily form bubbles, which interfere with analysis. Bubbles are removed from samples easily on Earth since the air floats to the top due to gravity, but in the microgravity of the International Space Station, a different solution is needed. Currently, the Pipette Loader tool is used to rid samples of bubbles before they are analyzed. However, this tool is bulky and cumbersome to use. The new Debubbler, developed by Innovaprep, unit would replace the current Pipette Loader, saving mass, cost, and crew time.
The new Debubbler unit will use a passive method to rid samples of bubbles. The Debubbler’s shape causes surface tension to direct the fluids in a specific direction and avoid bubbles. To test the new Debubbler unit, it will be used in multiple experimental runs with all the other WetLab-2 research platform tools. There will be two types of experimental runs in this investigation. The Basic Run will be completed four times and the Enhanced Run will be completed one time. The Basic Run will simply test the debubbling ability of the Debubbler, with a sample of colored buffer. The Enhanced Run will test the Debubbler with a sample containing DNA, which will then be put through the complete WetLab-2 flow of operations, testing the overall impact of the Debubbler on WetLab-2 usage.
The Debubbler unit is a significant improvement to the already-validated WetLab-2 platform. With this smaller and less expensive hardware component to help with the common issue of bubbles in sample fluids, we can expect improved efficiency and data quality from the WetLab-2 Research Platform.
Principal Investigator: Macarena Parra, Ph.D., NASA Ames Research Center
Hardware Developer: Innovaprep
Learn More:
Read about the WetLab-2 Research Platform
Author: Christina L. Cheung