GENEEXPRESSION experiment is a part of the science research program to be performed aboard the ISS RS by Pedro Duque, ESA astronaut of Spanish nationality in the frame of the SSM SERVANTES Project. The European Space Agency is a customer for the preparation and implementation of the scientific program.

USED SCIENCE HARDWARE:

• Aquarius-B hardware,
  including transport container-incubator, which accommodates a set of ROO biocontainers;

• GEN Biocontainers,
  presenting a set of reservoirs accommodating Drosophila melanogaster pupae;
  
• Biological transport container BIO-01,
  to upload and return biocontainers to and from ISS RS
• Temperature data logger.

USED FLIGHT HARDWARE:

• Kriogem-03 refrigerator

CREW SUPPORT ITEMS:

• Camcorder SONY DSR PD-15-P

PURPOSE:

Studies of the effects of the Space environment on the pattern of gene expression of Drosophila melanogaster pupae exposed to Microgravity during their development. The sequencing of the Drosophila genome has made possible genomic and proteomic studies, especially those involving microarrays. The microarray analysis will allow to identify the extent of gene expression changes that occur in Microgravity using a key model system such as Drosophila.

OBJECTIVE:

Exposition of Drosophila melanogaster pupae on the ISS RS.

EXPERIMENT RESULTS:

Microgravity exposition of Drosophila melanogaster pupae in GEN biocontainers.