PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S) : R. E. Allen, G. H. Barlow, Milan Bier, P. E. 



Bigazzi, R. J. Knox, F. J. Micale, G. V. F. 

 Seaman, J. W. Vanderhoff, C. J. Van Oss, W. J. 

 Patterson, F. E. Scott, P. H. Rhodes, B. H. 

 Nerren, and R. J. Harwell 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Electrophoresis Technology, MA-011 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 



CLASSIFICATION : Human, Animal 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Cell biology 



OBJECTIVES : To conduct engineering and operational tests of a space-rated 

 static electrophoresis separation apparatus and to further current research 

 efforts through separation of similar cellular species. 



PROTOCOL : An electrophoresis or isotachophoresis column was removed from its 

 storage location and installed in the electrophoresis unit in space. Fluid 

 couplings were secured to each electrode chamber of the electrophoresis 

 columns only. The slide containing a specific frozen sample was next removed 

 from the cryogenic freezer and inserted into the column. A camera mounted on 

 the electrophoresis unit cover photographed critical control positions and 

 digital readouts during each column operation. Following each electrophoresis 

 separation, the electrophoresis columns were frozen by the thermoelectric 

 module and then removed from the cradle. The crewman then removed each 

 electrode chamber from the columns and placed the column in the cryogenic 

 freezer for return to Earth. The isotachophoresis columns were neither frozen 

 nor returned, but only photographed in orbit during their operation. 



EQUIPMENT : An electrophoresis unit, a cryogenic freezer, eight experiment 

 columns (six electrophoresis, two isotachophoresis), and eight sample 

 insertion slides. 



RESULTS : Separation of human, rabbit and horse erythrocytes was accomplished. 

 Human kidney cells could be concentrated into urokinase (UK) , human 

 granulocyte conditioning factor (HGCF) and erythropoietin fractions. Human 

 lymphocytes were inconclusive. For the isotachophoresis part of the 

 experiment, separation of human erythrocytes from hemoglobin or dyes was 

 achieved. Separation of human and rabbit erythrocytes or rabbit and sheep 

 erythrocytes was not achieved. 



CONCLUSIONS : With the success of separation of the standard particles, it was 

 shown that electrophoresis can be performed under zero-g conditions. The 

 absence of significant electro-osmosis, the loading and returing of a sterile 

 system, the capture of the resulting separation, and the preservation of 



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