Human Life Research on ISS Russian Segment
TUBUL Experiment
Experiment TUBUL is a part of the scientific research program to be conducted by ESA astronaut of the Dutch nationality Andre Kuipers onboard the ISS RS in the
frame of DSM Delta Project. The European Space Agency is a customer of the preparation and implementation of the research program.
Objective:
Study of the effect of microgravity on the cytoskeleton of individual walled plant cells.
Task:
Cultivation of plant cells in suspension culture (wild type Nicotiana tabaccum) and chemical fixation of these plant cells at
different time points under µg-conditions.
Science Hardware Used:
- TUBUL experiment containers (8 units) each one includes a plunger box unit filled with plant cultures.
- TUBUL activation unit.
- TUBUL Biokit for return of the experiment results to the ground.
- KUBIK AMBER is a thermally insulated container (incubator) with a set of mounting slots for TUBUL
experiment containers with the insert centrifuge.
- KUBIK TOPAZ is a thermally insulated container (incubator) with a set of mounting slots for the
upload of the filled TUBUL experiment containers to ISS RS.
- Electronics units.
- Memory modules.
- AQUARIUS incubator for stowage of the experiment containers till the beginning of the experiment.

Experiment Results:
Cultivated plant cells of wild type Nicotiana tabaccum in TUBUL experiment containers.