RHOSIGNAL experiment is a part of the science research activities to be performed aboard the ISS RS by Frank de Winne, ESA astronaut of Belgian nationality in the frame of the ODISSEA Project. The European Space Agency and Belgian Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC) are customers of the preparation and implementation of the scientific program.

USED SCIENCE HARDWARE:

Aquarius-B hardware including:

• Container for Transport / Ascent (CTA-B)
  AQUARIUS-B Incubator/VITAMIN D with a set (5) plunger boxes containing mouse osteoblastic cells and combined in a single container.

• Container for Transport / Return (CTR-B)
  Passive container required for return of a set of B-containers with cells to the ground.
  
• Electronics Control Unit (ECU).

PURPOSE:

Investigation of functional alterations of the small GTPases of the Rho family (Rho GTPases), central molecular switches of the intracellular signaling pathways, in human fibroblasts submitted to microgravity.

OBJECTIVE:

Study of functional alterations in fibroblasts submitted to microgravity conditions by using immunomorphological procedures

EXPERIMENT RESULTS:

B-Container/RHOSIG with 6 plunger boxes containing cultivated human fibroblasts and ECU memory card.