MYOGRAVITY aims to investigating the molecular, cellular and functional modifications induced by the exposure to microgravity in human skeletal muscle satellite cells, the adult stem cells whose activity is physiologically relevant to the growth, maintenance and repair of skeletal muscle tissue.
The Principal Investigator is Prof. Stefania Fulle of the University of Chieti. The Payload Developer is Kayser Italia S.r.l.
This experiment in orbit will be realized through the use of six “STROMA” type Experiment Units (EU), bioreactors capable of containing the biological sample inside a culture chamber (CC), to automatically inject 4 parts of the culture medium and finally a fixative in the CC at predefined time intervals. Each STROMA EU will be housed into a Experiment Container (EC) named KIC. Each EU has a fluidic system that allows to run the protocol. The KIC is used to interface the EU to KUBIK, the ESA incubator on board the ISS. Each of the 6 EUs will be prepared on ground, integrated in the KIC ECs and transported to the International Space Station in a Biokit.
