Telescience testbed experiments of intracellular recordings in the Xenopus oocyte

The feasibility of intracellular recordings under constraints for experimental conditions in outer space were tested at a telescience testbed of the National Space Development Agency of Japan. We attempted to study the dose-response relationship of adenosine-induced potential changes in the Xenopus oocyte. The testbed simulated the distance from a ground control room to oocytes in an orbital laboratory; signals were delayed and compressed from one "station" to other. A microelectrode was inserted into the oocyte using remote control on the manipulator and on the xyz-planes of the platform with stereoscopic pictures observed through a head mounted display. When the transfer rate of the visual signals was decreased from 1.5 Mbps to 128 Kbps, insertion of the electrode became almost impossible because of reduced picture quality. Once the electrode was inserted, however, dose-dependent adenosine responses could be observed with little trouble.