infocus #12 December 2008 Cell Biology in Space

Basic research and potential applications

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.40

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of our work conducted in space in the past three decades. We describe the use of microscopic techniques such as phase contrast, fluorescence and electron microscopy, in experiments performed on the Space Shuttle/Spacelab system, on sounding rockets, on the International Space Station and on the ground in clinostats generating conditions similar to microgravity as well as in centrifuges at hypergravity levels of 10-20 g. Recently, a Digital Holographic Microscope has been adapted for the use on a three-dimensional clinostat (also called the Random Positioning Machine, RPM). This enables us to study morphological changes of cells under simulated microgravity conditions in real-time (Pache et al., 2008).

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Authors

Augusto Cogoli

Zero-g LifeTec GmbH, Zurich

Augusto Cogoli was born and grew up in Italy. In 1965 he obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Pavia. In 1968 he moved to the University of Zurich and started to work on enzymology. In 1974 he obtained his doctorate in Biochemistry (Dr. Sc. Tec.) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He specialized in immunology and cell biology as visiting scientist at the Weizmann Insitute of Science, Rehovot. He founded the Space Biology Group of the ETHZ in Zurich and started to work in space biology conducting several experiments in space laboratories (Spacelab, MIR station, International Space Station), sounding rockets and automated satellites. In collaboration with aerospace industries, he participated in the development of sophisticated space instrumentation, such as bioreactors and incubators. Augusto Cogoli is the author of over 170 publications in international journals and has served on several national and international committees on space activities. In 2004 he founded, with his wife Marianne, Zero-g LifeTec GmbH, a spin-off company of the ETHZ. Augusto Cogoli was awarded the Medal of the ETHZ in 1975, the Nello Pace award of the International Society of Gravitational Physiology in 2004, and the medal of the European Low Gravity Association in 2005.

Marcel Egli

Space Biology Group, ETH Zurich

Marcel Egli is head of the Space Biology Group, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland (ETH Zurich). He graduated from the University of Bern (MD-Ph.D.) before spending several years as Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne (Howard Florey Institute, Australia) and at the Florida State University (Department of Biology). The appointment to lead the Space Biology Group brought him back to Switzerland. Marcel Egli has published various papers in the fields of neurobiology, neuro-endocrinology, and currently in spacebiology. He is also the author of several book chapters. His current research interests include hypothalamic control of hormone secretion, and the influence of biological rhythms on immune function in humans. In particular, the question of how the internal biological clock is altered by microgravity. Furthermore, he fostered numerous collaborations with Universities of Applied Sciences, and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to develop new technologies for space applications. He is Principal Investigator of several experiments that were selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for a space flight. Marcel Egli is a regular guest lecturer at the University of Bern and the ESA Summer School for Astrobiology.