PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): K. Hanning, and H. Wirth 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Electrophoresis Experiment, MA-014 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 



CLASSIFICATION : Human, Animal 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Cell Biology 



OBJECTIVES : To investigate and evaluate the increase in sample flow rate and 

 sample resolution achievable in space. 



PROTOCOL : The apparatus functioned automatically, requiring minimal crew 

 intervention. Samples of rat bone marrow cells, spleen cells, lymph node 

 cells with the addition of human erythrocytes as markers and a mixture of 

 human and rabbit erythrocytes were studied. It was not necessary to collect 

 the separated biomaterial fractions. An optoelectronic analysis of the 

 separation was performed. A preparative separation was not used. A 

 qualitative evaluation (by use of an optical system) was sufficient to 

 determine the applicibility of the method and to study the sharpness of 

 separation. 



EQUIPMENT : Separation chamber consisting of two cooling plates. Electrodes 

 provided the electric field. 



RESULTS : The experiment lasted for one Earth orbit. The optical system 

 produced a light that was too bright to discern true cell distributions, but 

 final analysis of scientific data by computer processing showed the expected 

 distribution of separated cells. 



CONCLUSIONS : The applicability of free-flow electrophoresis under zero-g 

 conditions was confirmed. The technical problems arising from the special 

 environmental conditions in a Spacelab can be controlled. It was demonstrated 

 that the buffer flow systems operated despite the more difficult conditions 

 imposed by a closed system. The effective removal of gases from the electrode 

 buffer by the measures used was a necessary part of the experiment. The 

 possibility of separating living cells under zero-g conditions was 

 demonstrated. The cell aggregations that formed in the cell suspensions need 

 not correspond to a decrease in viability. 



PUBLICATIONS : 244, 245, 246, 247 



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