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Proposal Title: Arabidopsis Thaliana in Microgravity

Grade Level of Student Team: Fourth Grade.

Submitting School: Open Window School.

Submitting Teacher Facilitator: Trista Bamer, Hannah Blacksin, Jennifer Flanningam, Kellie
Dyer, and Randy Hollinger.
Position: 4th Grade Teachers and a science teacher

Proposal Summary: Our project will examine the response to microgravity on the Arabidopsis
thaliana plant and possibly contribute to the further use of these plants as a resource for a
recreational activity and to help mood improvement and productivity improvement, for the
International Space Station or another planet. Our goal is to do what we can to make sure that
our experiment is successful and can be used to further research in this area. We believe that the
Arabidopsis thaliana may show a response to microgravity perhaps in their physical appearance
or their rate of development. We will examine how the plant grows and develops while in
microgravity compared to on Earth. Both experiments will be done the same way including the
time span, procedure, watering, and fixation using 90% buffered formalin to preserve them.
Also, we will ask the following questions as we analyze the Arabidopsis thaliana growth: Are
there any differences in the amount of water it needs, it’s appearance, and in the types of
developmental stages or the percent of the roots that either die of live or grow, at these stages?
How can our findings contribute to using plants as part of a possible way to grow fresh food and
flowers in microgravity?
IIII. Student Team Members Page

Name: Amishi Ahuja

Grade level: Fourth Grade

Name: Jacob Park

Grade level: Fourth Grade

Name: Akaash Thomas

Grade level: Fourth Grade

Name: Amanda Chickering

Grade level: Fourth Grade

III. Experiment Materials and Handling Requirements Pages

Fluids Mixing Enclosure (FME) Type Proposed to be Used: Type 3

Volume 1
List each fluid/solid to be used and the amount of each sample:
In volume 1 we are going to use with 1 Arabidopsis thaliana seed in the 3 ml of Miracle Gro all
Purpose Soil and 1 ml of open space next to the soil

Volume 2
List each fluid/solid to be used and the amount of each sample:
In volume 2 we are going to use 2.4 ml of purified drinking water

Volume 3
List each fluid/solid to be used and the amount of each sample:
In volume 3 we are going to use 2 ml of 90% buffered formalin

IMPORTANT: Are any of the proposed samples human in origin? (check one):
☐ Yes
■ No
If “Yes”, see the Mission 9 Mini-Laboratory Operation webpage for details on the tests that
your team must perform on the human samples before the experiment can be selected for flight,
and explain below the results or the current status of these tests.

Special Handling Requirements During Transportation

List any special handling requirements during transportation of the FME from the student
team to the International Space Station and back, such as thermal control (e.g., refrigeration).
You must also include any special handling you are providing as part of the shipment of your
mini lab to and from Houston, e.g.,

No special handling requirements are needed during transport to the International Space Station.
Once the FME tube is returned to Earth, on the way back it needs to be in a cold place on the
way back to our school. (Preferred under 40 degrees)
Provide Below Your Proposed Timeline of Crew Interactions:
Proposed Experiment Timeline of Crew Interactions Aboard ISS

Crew Interaction Day Interaction Description

On arrival at ISS
A=0 Place the tube at the bottom of the cupola as soon as the
tube arrives. Water the plant with all
the water, do that by unclipping the clip in between the
water and the soil and lightly shaking the tube until all
the water has been absorbed by the soil.
 During, first week A+2 Watch it and take notes on the growth.

2 weeks prior to undock U- Release the water clamp and shake the tube until the
14 water is mixed with the soil

In week prior to undock U-5 Unclip the clip so that the formalin mixes in with the
plant and lightly shake it to mix it

In week prior to undock U-2 Take notes on if the Arabidopsis thaliana grew

IV. The Question to be Addressed by the Experiment

The question to be addressed is: What is the effect of microgravity on the root development on the
Arabidopsis thaliana?

We would like to find out if the Arabidopsis thaliana will increase groth in a microgravity
environment, so that the astronauts

From our research, we have learned…

• The Arabidopsis thaliana is thin and small
• It takes around 21 days to grow 1 inch
• It takes 6 days to germinate
• Its scientific name is Arabidopsis thaliana
• It takes 8 – 12 weeks to fully grow
• Its first name was Pilosella siliquosa
• Its family is the Brassicaceae
• Its kingdom is plantae
Arabidopsis thaliana:
1 Arabidopsis thaliana seeds:
• To plant in the soil to grow

90% buffered formalin:

• It's a chemical so we can freeze the plant, or it will grow too big.
Purified Water Bottle:
• The water is for watering the plant (we’ll get it from a convivence store)
Miracle Gro all Purpose Potting Mix Soil:
• So, we can plant the seed in the soil. We chose that soil because it the best for
Arabidopsis thaliana.

Our question is what the effect of microgravity on the roots of the Arabidopsis thaliana. Our hypothesis is
that the Arabidopsis thaliana will grow faster on the ISS. On earth there was 15 pounds of gravity on its
back, but in space there is no or very little gravity pushing down on it. We chose this because it is a small
and thin plant. Nobody is doing our project, but it might make people in space would feel at home also if
we can plant the Arabidopsis thaliana in space, then maybe mankind can plant more life in space. The
Arabidopsis thaliana can be used for many purposes. This weed can be used to useful phenomena in
agriculture and economics. The basic genetic mechanisms of growth, flowering and seed production are
the same throughout the plant kingdom would allow it to survive. We will use the plant to experiment on
the root growth of the Arabidopsis thaliana., to discover if plants can grow at a more rapid rate without
the weight of gravity.
V. Experiment Design

Experiment Rationale:
Our question is: How does microgravity affect the growth of the Arabidopsis thaliana
Our experiment will answer this question because we will have an Arabidopsis thaliana and see
how the plant grows without the 15 pounds of weight on it that it normally has on Earth.

Experimental Materials:
Materials used are:
a. 4 mL of Miracle Grow all Purpose Potting Mix
b. 2.4 mL of purified water
c. 2 mL of 90% buffered Formalin
d. 1 Arabidopsis thaliana seed

1. These materials were chosen, because they are the necessaries for plants to grow. We
selected the above materials, because these were the supplies that our school has access
to. By using materials available at school, we did not have a need to purchase additional
items.

The Experimental Procedure:

 Step One – When the tube arrives on the ISS place it in the cupola to sit
 Step Two – as soon as the tube is set in the cupola unclip the clip dividing the
water from the soil and lightly shake until the water has been absorbed by the soil.
 Step Three – every day after the plant was watered, take notes on the growth and if there Commented [JP1]: hi guys was up
is no growth after 15 days the unclip the clip dividing the formalin. Before you unclip the Commented [AC2R1]: why is crabrafe stuck in my
head? Jacob?
formalin triple check that there’s no growth.
 Step Four –After 20 days if you haven’t yet, unclip the formalin and lightly shake the Commented [JP3R1]: DO NOT USE CHAT!!!!!!!!!!

tube until the formalin is mixed in. Commented [AC4R1]: duh

 Step Five – 1 day before the tube will be sent back take notes on the speed of how fast the
plant either grew, or why you think that the plant failed and died.

3. Will your experiment on the ground be done at the same time as the experiment on the
ISS? Tell how this will work. Yes, we will grow one down on Earth so we can compare
the two down here and on from when we freeze it up there.
Experimental Analysis:

1. What equipment will you use to look at your results and compare them with the ground
experiment? We will use a microscope because it will be the most efficient way to find
the small differences in the roots of the Arabidopsis thaliana

I. List of Reference Publications

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/indoor-plants-can-instantly-boost-your-health-happiness-ncna781806

Why Indoor Plant Make You Feel Better

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2814496/

The Plant Cell American Society of Plant Biologists

https://thenode.biologists.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-arabidopsis-lab/lablife /

The Node

http://faculty.washington.edu/takato/

University of Washington, Department of Biology

https://www.nsf.gov/bio/pubs/reports/arabid/chap1.htm

The Role of Arabidopsis in Plant Science Research

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14536094

The Impact of Arabidopsis research on Plant Biotechnology

https://bio-protocol.org/bio101/e126

Arabidopsis Growing Protocol – a General Guide

https://www.noble.org/news/publications/ag-news-and-views/2001/september/soil-and-water-
relationships/