NASA Develops Light Microscope For International Space Station

WASHINGTON -- NASA began testing a new multi-capability microscope
this week on the International Space Station. It will help scientists
study the effects of the space environment on physics and biology
aboard the orbiting laboratory. The microscope is isolated from
vibrations on the station, allowing it to obtain clear,
high-resolution images. Using high-resolution magnification,
scientists can examine microorganisms and individual cells of plants
and animals, including humans.

The microscope will allow real-time study of the effects of the space
environment without the need to return samples to Earth. Any living
specimens returned to Earth must endure the effects of re-entry
through the atmosphere. The ability to use the Light Microscopy
Module (LMM) on station will enable scientists to study data
unaffected by re-entry.

"We really need to maximize life science investigations conducted on
the International Space Station," said Jacob Cohen, principal
investigator of the technology demonstration and a researcher at
NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. "It's really
amazing to be able to remotely manage, optimize and troubleshoot
experiments observed with a microscope in space without the need to
return the samples back to Earth. This microscope is helping fulfill
the vision of a true laboratory in space."

The biological samples for the LMM launched on space shuttle
Discovery's STS-133 mission on Feb. 24. They include eight fixed
slides containing yeast; bacteria; a leaf; a fly; a butterfly wing;
tissue sections and blood; six containers of live C. elegans worms,
an organism biologists commonly study; a typed letter "r" and a piece
of fluorescent plastic. The wing is from a previous study,
Butterflies in Space, involving students from around the country, and
flown on STS-129 in 2009. Some of the worms are descendants of those
that survived the space shuttle Columbia (STS-107) accident; and
others are modified to fluoresce. Scientists commonly attach green,
yellow and red florescent proteins to study gene expression.

"Operating the LMM on the space station has been a goal of NASA's Life
and Physical Sciences Program for many years," said Ron Sicker, LMM
project manager at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
"Scientists and engineers at Glenn modified the commercial microscope
in the LMM with 23 micro motors and cameras to allow remote control
operations."

Cohen and Sicker expect the LMM to perform the same as a microscope on
Earth. In the future, the microscope could be used to assist in
maintenance of station crew health, advance our knowledge of the
effects of space on biology and contribute to the development of
applications for space exploration and on Earth. This technology
demonstration was developed by Ames and Glenn, which developed and
manages the LMM. The Advanced Capabilities Division in the
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in
Washington, funds the project.

"This is a facility to support research in both physical and life
sciences by NASA-funded and National Laboratory users," said Julie
Robinson, International Space Station Program scientist at NASA's
Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It gives us a capability not
available before that allows more types of research to be done."

For more information about the Light Microscopy Module, visit:

http://issresearchproject.grc.nasa.gov/Investigations/LMM

To see samples of the slides, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/news/pressrel/2011/11-012_addm.html

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more information about NASA's Ames Research Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ames

For more information about NASA's Glenn Research Center, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/glenn

Source: NASA

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