Experiment

Experiment

A.004

Experiment

Fertilisation and cytoplasmic reorganisation in amphibian fixing, the development of Xenopus laeviseggs fertilised in microgravity.

Primary investigator

G.A. Ubbels

Co-investigator

T. Brom, J.M. Narraway, W. Berendsen, S. Kerkvliet

Contact point

Hubrecht Laboratory (NIOB)

Category

Life Sciences

Main research area

Developmental Biology

Keywords

Automatic Experiment Container
Biorack
Dorso-ventral polarity
Xenopus leavis
Egg preservation

Abstract

The aim of this project is to analyse early Xenopus development under microgravity conditions. Classical embryological studies suggested a role for gravity in the establishment of the spatial structure of the amphibian embryo, but these studies were inconclusive, .... (full text)

Objectives

Investigation of the role of gravity in determination of the dorso-ventral axis in the developing embryo of Xenopus Laevis.

Subject of investigation

Process research

Subject name

Amphibian egg fertilisation

Subject description

Xenopus laevis

Specific method

Automatic Experiment Container

Experiment procedure

During the Space Shuttle mission IML-1 (recently re-scheduled for January, 1992), we intend to fertilize toad (Xenopus laevis) eggs under microgravity, and fix them for histology and whole-mount analysis at two different programmed times (viz. third cleavage and the ..... (full text)

Funding agency

SRON

Launcher

Space Shuttle

Platform

Spacelab

Mission

IML-1

Facility

Biorack (6 type I/E containers)

Equipment

Automatic Experiment Container

Success

Yes.

Pictures

Automatic Experiment Container

Video

Embryonic development of Xenopus Leavis

General

Related experiments:

On STS 61A (1985)

On Texus 17 (1988)

On Maser-3 (1989)