Download What Is the Effect of Microgravity on the Development Rate of Murine

What Is the Effect of Microgravity
on the Development of Murine
Myoblasts?
Alexis Albert, Grace Dry, Tyler Jackson, Jake O’Brien,
Madison Russell, Leanne Sorrel
Copper Mill Elementary
Zachary Community School District
Zachary, Louisiana
Student Spaceflight Experiment Program
2010-2011
Murine Myoblasts
• Murine refers to mice.
• Myoblasts are precursors to myocytes,
which are also known as muscle cells.
• Myoblasts eventually fuse together
creating multinucleated fibers called
myotubes, which form muscles.
• The formation of myotubes is called
myogenesis.
• Myoblasts fusing into myotubes video
The Process of Myogenesis
• A: An attached
myoblast
• B: Semiconfluency
• C: Confluency
• D: Formation
of myotubes
Experiment Question and Hypothesis
• What is the effect of microgravity on the
development rate of murine myoblasts?
• Will the myoblasts fuse to form myotubes at
the same rate in microgravity as they do on
Earth?
• Will the myoblasts use the same amount of
nutrients in microgravity as they do on
Earth?
• The team hypothesized that the process of
myogenesis will occur slower in microgravity.
Working with Louisiana State University
and the Reproductive Biology Center
Working with Louisiana State University
and the Reproductive Biology Center
Analyzing Samples
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Glucose level before flight: 519 mg/DL
Glucose level of microgravity sample: 449 mg/DL
Glucose level of control: 563.3 mg/DL
Conclusion
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Due to the variability of measurement, the team determined that
there were no significant differences between the two samples, thus
concluded that microgravity does not have an effect on murine
myoblast development.
There were no significant differences in the glucose intake levels
between the samples exposed to microgravity and those kept on
Earth.
Bacteria growth in the samples exposed to microgravity may have
altered the results. The control samples were also compromised and
had to be run again at a different time than the experiment, thus
they were prepared from a different group of cells, thus the control
can no longer be used as a reliable comparison. To ensure validity of
the observations, additional replicates of the experiment should be
run.
The team is focused on the achievement of successfully sending
myoblasts into orbit and having them return!