PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S ): Todd Meister 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : In vitro Immunology, ED32 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Skylab 3 



CLASSIFICATION : Human 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Immunology 



OBJECTIVES : To observe In vitro the effects of zero gravity on a 

 precipitin-type antigen-antibody reaction. 



PROTOCOL : Measured amounts of human antigen were used to inoculate 3 plates 

 containing agar and antibodies, providing each plate with a different 

 combination of antigen/antibody. The plates were stored at Skylab ambient 

 temperature (approx. 77° F) for 2 days. Starting 24 hours after inoculation, 

 photographs were taken every 5 hours. Growth rates of the precipitin rings 

 were compared with those of the control experiment on earth. 



EQUIPMENT : 3 radial immunodiffusion plates, 1 thermos bottle-type cooler, 3 

 Hamilton syringes. 



RESULTS : Small rings which grew during the 48-hour period were visible in 

 some of the chambers. Much of the agar became dried and cracked after 23 

 hours of incubation. Nine of 18 chambers had formed precipitin rings at 

 approximately the same growth rates and with similar intensities as earth 

 controls. 



CONCLUSIONS : Those reactions which occurred provided evidence that the immune 

 reaction system functioned normally in the space environment. 



PUBLICATIONS : 197, 377, 393, 500 



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