Noble Foundation plants head for space on Discovery

NEWS RELEASE
Issued - February 22, 2010

ARDMORE, Okla. — As a plant scientist, Elison Blancaflor will never experience the weightless wonder of outer space, but in April his research will.

Blancaflor, a principal investigator and associate professor at The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, is one of three scientists nationwide to receive a two-year, $142,000 NASA grant that includes an opportunity to rocket his research into orbit with the upcoming Discovery Space Shuttle mission. "Space flight is such an awe-inspiring event," Blancaflor said. "For my research to be included on this mission is a rare opportunity, and I'm highly appreciative."

In August 2009, NASA solicited proposals for its Biological Research in Canisters (BRIC) program which allows scientists to pack more than a dozen Petri-dish-sized samples into containment capsules that will be included in the space shuttle's scientific cargo. In late January, Blancaflor received notification that he had earned the grant and the coveted spot, alongside researchers from the University of Florida and Miami University at Oxford, Ohio.

"Elison's selection for this highly competitive grant and the inclusion of his work on the space shuttle speak volumes about the quality of his research," said Rick Dixon, D.Phil., director of the Plant Biology Division. "External review of federal grant applications is rigorous, and success rates are currently at an all time low. The Noble Foundation's continued success in obtaining competitive funding indicates that we are viewed as a source of excellence in fundamental plant science and plant breeding."

Blancaflor's space-bound research project will afford the scientist an opportunity to advance his study of the gravitropism phenomenon. The project involves growing Arabidopsis (thale cress) seedlings inside 14 Petri dishes where they will be exposed to weightlessness for almost two weeks. While in orbit, the seedlings will be treated with chemicals that will preserve the structure and genetic components of the plant cells. This will enable Blancaflor to evaluate how the lack of gravity affects the growth and development of plants.

"We continuously observe the process of plant gravitropism in our daily lives," Blancaflor said. "When a plant develops, its stems typically grow up and its roots grow down, a process that is strongly influenced by the gravitational force on earth."

In essence, gravitropism allows for correct anchorage, nutrient and water acquisition, seedling emergence and light absorption for photosynthesis - all of which have a significant impact on agriculture. "The best place to study gravitropism and gravity-related biological phenomena is in space where gravity is absent," Blancaflor said. "This provides the best experimental control to compare with earth-grown plants where gravity is always present."

Furthermore, Blancaflor's project has implications for future space exploration. NASA is interested in understanding how plants develop in space because plants are an important component of regenerative life support systems, providing a source of oxygen and food if humans were to embark on long-term space missions.

Beginning in early February, Blancaflor's team, which includes fellow Noble Foundation researchers Drs. Jin Nakashima and Yuhong Tang, as well as research assistant Alan Sparks, will travel multiple times to Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to prepare for the launch. Earlier this month, Nakashima spent one day in Florida familiarizing himself with the containers where the Arabidopsis seedlings will be grown. The entire team traveled to the off-site laboratory this week for a "payload verification test," which serves as a dress rehearsal for launch day. They also spent time organizing the team's Florida laboratory and arranging for the appropriate equipment and supplies. During the first week of March, the Blancaflor-led team will return for the landing simulation, where they will practice processing the plants, performing sterilization and tests on-site just as they will when the plants actually return from space.

"Practice is key to the success of this experiment," Blancaflor said. "If we mess something up in our laboratory here on Earth, we can always recreate it and try again. With this particular experiment, we will only get one shot at getting everything correct. Thus, careful preparation involving coordinated efforts between NASA support staff and the principal investigator's team goes into this project"

After pushing back the original March 18 launch because of Florida's cool evenings, Discovery will take off at 6:27 a.m., Monday, April 5. The team will return to Kennedy Space Center in mid-April for the space shuttle's landing to process their samples and then return to the Noble Foundation's Ardmore, Okla., campus for further testing.

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Photos:: Elison Blancaflor; Jin Nakashima, Elison Blancaflor and Alan Sparks

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For media inquiries concerning the Noble Foundation, please contact:

J. Adam Calaway

jacalaway@noble.org

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.