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Centrifuges and inertial shear forces.

Jack J W A van Loon1, Erik H T E Folgering, Carlijn V C Bouten

  • 1Dutch Experiment Support Center (DESC), Oral Biology, ACTA Vrije Universiteit & Univ. van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.vanloon@vumc.nl

Journal of Gravitational Physiology : a Journal of the International Society for Gravitational Physiology
|September 9, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Centrifuges create artificial gravity for biological studies but introduce shear forces. These forces can significantly impact cell and tissue experiments, requiring careful consideration in research design and data interpretation.

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Space Biology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Centrifuges are essential for simulating Earth's gravity (1 x g) in microgravity research.
  • They are used for control samples in both spaceflight and ground-based biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significant issue of inertial shear forces generated by centrifuges.
  • To emphasize the need to address these artifacts in future experimental hardware and data analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of forces acting on biological samples during centrifugation.
  • Evaluation of centrifuge and experimental hardware geometry's role in artifact generation.

Main Results:

  • Centrifugation can introduce substantial inertial shear forces, up to 99% of the total force on cells/tissues.

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  • These forces are dependent on centrifuge type and experimental setup.

    • Conclusions:

    • Inertial shear forces are a critical artifact in centrifuge-based biological research.
    • Addressing this artifact is crucial for accurate interpretation of past and future spaceflight and ground-based studies.