PRINCIPAL lNVESTIGATOR(S ): A. Gib DeBusk 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Genetic Experiments on NERV 



PROGRAM/MISSION : NERV 1 



CLASSIFICATION : Microorganism - ( Neurospora crassa ) 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Cell biology, Genetics, Radiobiology 



OBJECTIVES : To study the inner Van Allen radiation belt using a nuclear 

 emulsion, and to study some biological effects of near zero gravity. 



PROTOCOL : Cells were exposed to flight conditions in the lower Van Allen belt 

 for about 26 minutes at an altitude of about 1,200 miles. Two capsules 

 contained material designed to be assayed by means of the back mutation test. 

 The third capsule was designed to be assayed by the forward mutation test. 

 Three sets of controls were prepared. 



EQUIPMENT : Experiment capsules. 



RESULTS : The cells designated for the back mutation test were lost due to 

 contamination. The forward mutation sample had injured cells. A 30% increase 

 in mutation frequency was found. There was approximately a 100% increase in 

 physiologically injured cells in the flight sample. 



CONCLUSIONS : With the data, there is no way to compare the increase in 

 mutation with a known quantity of radiation. The experiment was not designed 

 to detect "physiological damage," but observation of this phenomena came as a 

 by-product. Some of the damaged cells were not able to initiate the growth 

 process, but recovered if given a complex nutrient. The recovered cells were 

 normal. This would appear to be a case of temporary cell damage caused by 

 some agent or condition of flight. 



PUBLICATIONS : 143, 144 



15ti 



