Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

1. Student Spaceflight Experiments Program • The Reishi Mushroom VS E. coli and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

2. "Science walks on the shoulders of the giants that came before us." • Tommy Conn • Special thanks to: • Dr. Jeff Goldstein, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education • Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), SSEP National Partner • Tennessee Space Grant Consortium at • Vanderbilt University • Dr. Raquel Collins-Underwood Department of Pathology • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital • The Biotechnology Education Company • Fayette County Education Association • Fayette Academy,Mr. Ron Canada, Headmaster • Memphis Astronomical Society • West Tennessee STEM Hub, Dr. Alfred Hall, II, Director • Eads Animal Hospital, Dr. Tim Montague, Veterinarian

3. Dr. Racquel Collins-Underwood, MT (ASCP), PhD St Jude Children's Research Hospital scientist mentors multiple STEM student research teams at Fayette Academy.

4. Our Research Team Principal Investigator: Mark Montague Co-Investigators: Averi Davis,Tucker Whittington, and Harley Wade

5. Research Question What effect will microgravity have on the Reishi mushroom’s (Ganodermalucidum) ability to weaken, damage, or destroy cells? Will the E. coli cell reaction in microgravity match the reaction of the leukemia cell to the Reishi mushroom on Earth?

6. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia We learned about current research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Leukemia is our primary focus.

7. Hypothesis • We believe the Reishi mushroom will induce cell arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. However, we will use E. coli, an alternative bacterial model organism,that will approximate the uncontrolled growth of leukemia cells. The benefits of utilizing bacterial cultures in place of human leukemia cells include the ability to precisely initiate and terminate cell growth, and the ability of these cells to grow in the ambient conditions aboard the ISS (Conant).

8. E. coli

9. The Reishi Mushroom

10. The Reishi Mushroom

11. This fungi has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years with no negative side effects. Reishi Mushroom

12. Reishi, from Nature’s Pharmacy • Allergies • Arthritis • Cancer • Depression • Diabetes • Heart disease • Hepatitis • High blood pressure • Insominia • Parkinson’s disease

13. Known as the "King of Herbs" • “The Japanese government officially lists Reishi mushroom as a cancer treatment.”

14. Mini-Labratory Headed to ISS: Tube 1 • Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5 cells per bead) • Volume 2 – 1.5 g of powdered Reishi mushroom mixed with 3 mL nutrient broth • Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth inhibitor and preservative

15. Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 2 • Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5) • Volume 2 – 1.5 g of powdered Reishi mushroom mixed with 3 mL nutrient broth • Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth inhibitor and preservative

16. Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 3 (control) • Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5) • Volume 2 – 3 mL nutrient broth • Volume 3 – 3mL of 10% formalin, cell growth inhibitor and preservative

17. Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 4 • Volume 1 – 2 mL K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells in Bovine Broth • Volume 2 – 1.5 g of Reishi mushroom in 1 mL of Bovine Broth • Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth inhibitor and preservative

18. Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 5 (control) • Volume 1 – 3 mL of K562 chronic myeloid leukemia in nutrient broth (Bovine blood/serum) • Volume 2 – empty • Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth inhibitor and preservative

19. Spectrophotometer Quantitative Data Collection Absorbance Transmittance

20. Spectrophotometer

21. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia We will use the stain Trypan blue to identify cell membrane damage. We will take photographs of 3 fields of view of each FME tube.

22. County Mayor signs SSEP Proclamation

23. SSEP Celebration

24. “The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” • –Unknown