Abstract

Investigation of Cell Mechanics of Osteoblasts in Microgravity

Nadab Wubshet, Researcher, University of Michigan

With growing investments in long-term space exploration and space travel, it becomes important to uncover the physiological adaptations of terrestrial life. However, there is no genetic memory that can be extracted from changes in physiological responses to variable gravity, since gravity is unchanging on Earth. Thus, it is immensely helpful to understand how microgravity affects cell signaling, gene expression, cell mechanics, and overall cellular physiology and function. To investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on cellular function on the ground, a random positioning machine (RPM) is developed in this work. Furthermore, microfluidic micropipette aspiration device was used to robustly measure cell mechanical properties under simulated microgravity.