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Meet: HAIG KESHISHIAN

NIHB.1
SYNAPTOGENISIS IN MICROGRAVITY
PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR,
YALE UNIVERSITY

NIHB.1 SCIENCE OVERVIEW
The effects of spaceflight on nervous system development and neuromuscular synapse formation will be tested in a model genetic organism, Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly). A specific transgenic Drosophila melanogaster has been developed for use as a model for this study. The NIHB.1 experiment is designed to examine the effects of microgravity and spaceflight on the development of neural connections between specific motoneurons and their targets in muscle fibers of Drosophila embryos and larvae.The morphological development of specific motoneurons will be determined
  • As they navigate the embryonic CNS and periphery to seek out their peripheral targets
  • As they innervate their respective muscle fibers
  • As the synapses differentiate and develop their mature form during embryonic and post-embryonic life
  • The extent to which the neurons and their targets maintain correct connectivity during development
PRIMARY SCIENCE OBJECTIVES
Objective 1: To utilize the organism's genetic expression of a highly fluorescent mutant form of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) to visualize singly identified motoneurons and muscle targets as well as all aspects of the nervous system development, from growth cone exploration events to synaptic maturation in whole animals, as a result of this protein, dissection or neuronal labeling is not required.

Objective 2: To examine the critical developmental times of Drosophila embryos and larvae for the effects of microgravity during spaceflight. Since development of the embryos and larvae can be manipulated by controlling the temperature of the organism, even subtle changes in normal development can be detected.

HARDWARE AND METHODS
This experiment will be flown in a Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) with an insert - Isothermal Containment Module (ICM). The hardware is owned by BioServe Space Technologies, Denver, Colorado.

The experimental plan will utilize the programming capabilities of the CGBA-ICM for automated individual temperature shifts of the GAP units. Specimens will be maintained at 11°C until a pre-determined time when GAP units will be individually warmed to 25°C inflight to allow the embryos/larvae to develop for a specified time. Following the developmental period, the GAPs will be cooled to 11°C for the remainder of the flight and during recovery.

Due to the automated nature of the CGBA-ICM, inflight crew support is not required unless an early EOM (End of Mission) should arise.

 
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