| Using new CubeLab technologies provided by Space Tango to enhance Exomedicine research, the primary focus of research is on the effects of microgravity in early stage plant growth. The experimental design will provide desirable system conditions for installation aboard the ISS, within Space Tango's research platform. Catharanthus roseus plant seeds possess unique cell cycle inhibitors, commonly known as vinca alkaloids. These compounds are heavily used in chemotherapy drug synthesis. These seeds will be placed aboard the ISS prior to any seedling growth or plant development. Upon return, these compounds will undergo analysis to determine if microgravity exposure yielded an increase of compound abundance. The system is designed to conduct research of interest, while in parallel proving the system viability for continued experiments that could utilize the system. The Tube-Cube system will house, stabilize, and manage the experimental environment. The Bus will be required to manage command and data handling. The research platform aboard the ISS will provide power and data communications between Earth and the ISS. Additional experiments are expected to follow to draw conclusions, in pursuit of new cancer treatment options. |
