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Propagation of Dental and Respiratory Cells and Organs in Microgravity

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Published on: May 25, 2021

Simulating microgravity using a random positioning machine for inducing cellular responses to mechanotransduction in

Nadab H Wubshet¹, Esmeralda Arreguin-Martinez¹, Mark Nail¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|December 2, 2021

Summary

Researchers developed a novel random positioning machine (RPM) to simulate microgravity effects on cells. This device uses a unique algorithm to uniformly reorient samples, minimizing unwanted forces and enabling new cellular response studies.

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Area of Science:

Cellular Biology
Biophysics
Gravitational Biology

Background:

Mechanotransduction pathways responding to gravity are less understood than those responding to contact forces.
Simulating reduced gravity on Earth requires specialized equipment to avoid confounding factors like high magnetic fields or shear forces.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a lab-friendly device for simulating microgravity conditions.
To investigate the effects of simulated microgravity on human osteoblasts.

Main Methods:

A compact, two-axis random positioning machine (RPM) was designed to fit within a standard tissue culture incubator.
A novel control algorithm utilizing inverse kinematics ensures a uniform probability distribution of sample orientations.
Cellular responses of adherent and suspended human osteoblasts were analyzed after exposure to simulated microgravity.

Main Results:

The RPM achieved a uniform distribution of orientations with minimal average gravity (0.00123% of Earth's gravity).
Shear forces were minimized by limiting gimbal motor angular speed to under 42 °/s.
Simulated microgravity induced cytoskeletal disruption and cell shape changes in adherent osteoblasts.
Suspended osteoblasts exhibited reduced filamentous actin and lower cell stiffness under simulated microgravity.

Conclusions:

The developed RPM provides a reliable ground-based method for simulating microgravity.
The findings reveal significant cellular alterations in human osteoblasts due to simulated microgravity, impacting cytoskeletal structure and mechanical properties.