We are starting a collaboration with the Science Cheerleaders group to do a microbiology project on the International Space Station. This project has two parts: sampling microbes on the space station using DNA based methods and culturing microbes from select locations on Earth and sending them to the space station for a few tests. I will be posting some notes on the project here.
History:
- Contacted by Darlene Cavalier to ask if we might be interested in collaborating
- Said yes and had multiple conference calls with Darlene, Mark Severance, Wendy Brown, Russell Neches, Summer Williams and others.
- Put in proposal to Space Florida on the project
- Proposal approved
Notes on sampling ISS and sporting events
- Most likely will collect samples on ISS with swabs send back to Earth frozen
- Would be great to do sequencing on ISS if such methods are available
- Recruited Jack Gilbert to help with sequencing and sample kits
- Need to determine what to sample at sporting events
- Avoiding people due to informed consent/IRB issues
- Balls?
- Entryways
- Keyboards around stadium
- Dusty spots (e.g., above backboard)
- Want to be able to compare to other building sampling
Darlene working on SciStarter site set up
Some blog/news coverage
- Cheering microbes into space
- Cheering microbes into space :: UC Davis News & Information
- learn more about the ISS Research – Space Florida
- Space Florida Announces ISS Research Competition Winners at …
- Citizen science in space! | SciStarter Blog
- Nanoracks small experiment host module for ISS
Jonathan Eisen's Lab 