student spaceflight experiment program: group u will microgravity affect the growth of pleurotus...
TRANSCRIPT
Student Spaceflight Experiment Program: Group U
Will microgravity affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus?
Co-Principal Investigators
Komalpreet Kahlon Kugenthini TharmakulasekaramUndergraduate - Medical Physics Highschool - Grade 11
Francis Buguis Modlin OrangeUndergraduate - Biomedical Science Highschool - Grade 11
Gemma Mancuso Undergraduate - Biomedical Science
Collaborators
Dr. Joseph McPhee Assistant Professor
Murad Jabarov Undergraduate - Chemistry
Introduction
Pleurotus ostreatus - Pearl Oyster Mushroom
- Globally grown and highly nutritious fungus - Saprotrophic fungus:
- Feeds off cellulose from living trees.- Capacity for growth using numerous
substrates
Motivation
- All previous research solely carried out on Earth
- Growth of different species of fungi were observed on the retired Mir Space StationWhat about fungus that is
edible? http://goo.gl/6TMISR
Question: Will microgravity affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus?
Hypothesis: Microgravity will affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus
- Mycelia is the network of hyphae, roots are to plants as mycelia are to fungi
- Mycelia grows along the substrate as it extracts nutrients from it
- Note: tube too small for the growth of mushrooms caps
Type 3 FMEVolume 1
Pleurotus ostreatus spores
Volume 2
Growth Substrate (pulverized rice straw)
Water storage crystals
Volume 3
Formalin Solution
http://goo.gl/wjQIXXhttp://goo.gl/jxRjLL
http://goo.gl/Q81lZy
https://goo.gl/bI7AmU
The Experiment
Before Flight
Un-clamp Clamp 1
Un-clamp Clamp 2
No growth occurs
Spores mix with growth material, growth begins
Formalin stops growth and preserves fungus
http://goo.gl/QG9GP7
After the Flight
- Mycelial Content will be quantified- Glucosamine assay
- Glucosamine will be extracted from the mycelia of the fungus, differences in quantity of glucosamine indicates differences in growth
- The mycelia will also be studied for physical differences (colour, branching, etc.)
Acknowledgments:
Dr. Bryan KoivistoDr. Emily AgardLindsay JacksonGraham Pearson
Thank you to our sponsors: