Method of testing growth of living organisms in space
View Patent ↗A method of testing living organisms in space. On earth a chamber is loaded with at least one cuvette having a living organism for experimentation. The chamber and cuvette are placed aboard a transport vehicle for transport to and return from space. The cuvette is maintained at atmospheric pressure throughout transport and during the time in space. The cuvette remains at atmospheric pressure, even throughout extra vehicular activities during transport. This method provides for the transport vehicle to be subjected to the vacuum of space without damage to the living organism or disrupting any experiment involving the living organism.
1 . A method of testing living organisms in space, the method comprising the steps of:
on earth providing a chamber having a volume of less than or equal to 1.5 liters and being adapted for removably receiving a plurality of elongate cuvettes therein, the chamber having a base and an illumination lid remote therefrom, a first row of a first plurality of receptacles between the base and lid, and a second row of a corresponding second plurality of receptacles between the base and lid, each receptacle being sized to removably receive at least one respective cuvette therein, each cuvette having a proximal end and a translucent distal end longitudinally opposed thereto and juxtaposed with the illumination lid;
on earth disposing at least one living organism in each cuvette of a first plurality of cuvettes, to be in contacting with a growth medium disposed therein and maintaining the cuvettes at atmospheric pressure therein; on earth disposing the first plurality of cuvettes with the living organisms therein in the receptacles of the chamber to thereby impart artificial light from the illumination lid to the living organisms while in the first plurality of cuvettes;
transporting the chamber to the international space station for removal from earth gravity for an extended period; and
returning the chamber with the first plurality of cuvettes having the living organisms therein to earth for analysis of the living organisms.
2 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of measuring growth characteristics of the living organisms aboard the international space station.
3 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of, during transport to the international space station, exposing the chamber to a vacuum of space without depressurizing the first plurality of cuvettes.
4 . A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of exposing the chamber to the vacuum of space without depressurizing the first plurality of cuvettes comprises the step of performing an extra vehicular activity.
5 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
providing a magnetic field to magnetically influence a first subset of the first plurality of cuvettes with living organisms therein and not influence a second subset of the first plurality of cuvettes having control living organisms therein; and
comparing the effects of the magnetic field on first subset of living organisms to the second subset of control living organisms.
6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein the step of influencing the first subset of cuvettes with a magnetic field comprises the step of juxtaposing a respective magnet with the proximal end of each cuvette of the first subset of cuvettes.
7 . A method according to claim 6 wherein the step of not magnetically influencing the second subset of cuvettes comprises removably inserting a metal partition intermediate the respective magnets and the second subset of cuvettes.
8 . A method according to claim 7 further comprising the steps of returning at least one cuvette with a living organism therein to earth for analysis of the living organism on earth.