Testing the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) for ISS Plant and Cell Research

Fossum, Knut Robert; Kittang, Ann-Iren; Iversen, Tor‐Henning; Brinckmann, Enno; Schiller, Peter W.

doi:10.4271/2005-01-2841

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The EMCS is an incubator where watering, automatic control of air exchange, medium and air humidity, as well as illumination from the light array could be achieved in the ECs by interfacing with the EMCS. Details of the EMCS design, the rotors and the ECs have been published previously (Brinckmann, 2005; Fossum et al ., 2005; Solheim et al ., 2006), but an overview of the rotor configuration is given for the convenience of the reader in Fig. 2(a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gravity amplifies and microgravity decreases circumnutations in Arabidopsis thaliana stems: results from a space experiment

2009

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Summary• In a microgravity experiment onboard the International Space Station, circumnutations of Arabidopsis thaliana were studied. Plants were cultivated on rotors under a light:dark (LD) cycle of 16 : 8 h, and it was possible to apply controlled centrifugation pulses. Time-lapse images of inflorescence stems (primary, primary axillary and lateral inflorescences) documented the effect of microgravity on the circumnutations.• Self-sustained circumnutations of side stems were present in microgravity but amplitudes were mostly very small. In darkness, centrifugation at 0.8 g increased the amplitude by a factor of five to ten. The period at 0.8 g was c. 85 min, in microgravity roughly of the same magnitude. In white light the period decreased to c. 60 min at 0.8 g (microgravity value not measurable). Three-dimensional data showed that under 0.8 g side stems rotated in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.• Circumnutation data for the main stem in light showed a doubling of the amplitude and a longer period at 0.8 g than in microgravity (c. 80 vs 60 min).• For the first time, the importance of gravity in amplifying minute oscillatory movements in microgravity into high-amplitude circumnutations was unequivocally demonstrated. The importance of these findings for the modelling of gravity effects on self-sustained oscillatory movements is discussed.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Details of the EMCS design, the rotors and the ECs have been published previously (Brinckmann, 2005;Fossum et al, 2005;Solheim et al, 2006), but an overview of the rotor configuration is given for the convenience of the reader in Fig. 2(a).…”

Section: Research 623mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gravity amplifies and microgravity decreases circumnutations in Arabidopsis thaliana stems: results from a space experiment

2009

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“…Each rotor contains four ECs. The design of the EMCS, the rotors and ECs has previously been described (Brinckmann, 2005; Fossum et al ., 2005; Solheim et al ., 2006). The results reported here were achieved in the first long‐term experiment in the EMCS within the frame of the experiment MULTIGEN‐1 (MULTIple GENerations 1) (Johnsson et al ., 2009).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultradian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves in microgravity

2009

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Ultradian movements of Arabidopsis thaliana rosette leaves were discovered and studied under microgravity conditions in space. Weightlessness revealed new facets of these movements. The European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) was used in a long-term white-light, light-darkness (LD; 16 : 8 h) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). Leaves reacted with slow up or down movement (time constant several hours) after transitions to darkness or light, respectively. Superimposed movements with periods of c. 80-90 min and small-amplitude pulsed movements of 45 min were present in the light. Signal analysis (fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis) revealed several types and frequencies of movements. Identical phase coupling was observed between the 45-min movements of the leaves of one plant. In darkness, movements of c. 120-min period were recorded. The EMCS allowed 0-g to 1-g transitions to be created. Leaves on plants germinated in microgravity started a negative gravitropic reaction after a delay of c. 30 min. Leaves grown on a 1-g centrifuge reacted to the same transition with an equal delay but had a weaker gravitropic response. The experiments provide unequivocal demonstrations of ultradian, self-sustained rhythmic movements in A. thaliana rosette leaves in the absence of the effect of gravity.

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“…The idea was to design two dedicated facilities to improve and standardize plant growth in the ISS. The EMCS Flight Model (EMCS FM) was brought to the ISS on the Space Shuttle ULF 1.1 in March 2006 after bio-compatibility and functionality tests [ 47 ]. The EMCS, which is the facility specially equipped for plant studies, has been equipped with two centrifuges to perform experiments in microgravity with variable g -levels up to 2.0 g. Detailed descriptions of the EMCS before being launched have been given by various authors [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ].…”

Section: The Emcs and Plant Space Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Utilization of Plant Facilities on the International Space Station—The Composition, Growth, and Development of Plant Cell Walls under Microgravity Conditions

Jost¹,

Hoson

Iversen

2015

Plants

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In the preparation for missions to Mars, basic knowledge of the mechanisms of growth and development of living plants under microgravity (micro-g) conditions is essential. Focus has centered on the g-effects on rigidity, including mechanisms of signal perception, transduction, and response in gravity resistance. These components of gravity resistance are linked to the evolution and acquisition of responses to various mechanical stresses. An overview is given both on the basic effect of hypergravity as well as of micro-g conditions in the cell wall changes. The review includes plant experiments in the US Space Shuttle and the effect of short space stays (8–14 days) on single cells (plant protoplasts). Regeneration of protoplasts is dependent on cortical microtubules to orient the nascent cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall. The space protoplast experiments demonstrated that the regeneration capacity of protoplasts was retarded. Two critical factors are the basis for longer space experiments: a. the effects of gravity on the molecular mechanisms for cell wall development, b. the availability of facilities and hardware for performing cell wall experiments in space and return of RNA/DNA back to the Earth. Linked to these aspects is a description of existing hardware functioning on the International Space Station.

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Testing the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) for ISS Plant and Cell Research

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

Gravity amplifies and microgravity decreases circumnutations in Arabidopsis thaliana stems: results from a space experiment

Gravity amplifies and microgravity decreases circumnutations in Arabidopsis thaliana stems: results from a space experiment

Ultradian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves in microgravity

The Utilization of Plant Facilities on the International Space Station—The Composition, Growth, and Development of Plant Cell Walls under Microgravity Conditions

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