Experiment

CsPINs Experiment Completed

* All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)

Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators, CsPINs, Responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs)*, which has been performed using the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) on board Kibo, was completed.

*Principal Investigator (PI): Hideyuki Takahashi, Professor, Tohoku University

"CsPINs" is a protein group that controls activity and distribution of Auxin, a plant hormone, which has an essential role in coordination of growth and behavioral processes in the plant's life cycle. This experiment focuses on "CsPIN1", which is assumed to be involved in gravimorphogenesis in plant, and "CsPIN5", which is assumed to be involved in hydrotropism, and aims at understanding their activities.

The CsPINs experiment consists of CsPINs-1, 2 and 3, and total of eight in-flight experiment sessions are planned for the CsPINs experiment. Two in-flight sessions were completed by April 29, 2011.

The CsPINs-1 began at 2:01 a.m. on April 26, and was performed for 4 days until April 29. The collected samples will be returned to the ground by the space shuttle Endeavour (STS-134 mission), which is scheduled to launch in May 2011.

If these protein activities are understood, the findings will be applied to the root growth orientation control or plant organ formation control. The control techniques will eventually be applied to agriculture technology and or future space plant factories.

Special Message from Principal Investigator (PI)

We have eight in-flight sessions planned for the CsPINs experiment. Of eight sessions, we have completed two sessions. The experiment operated very smooth. I would like to extend my gratitude to the experiment payload operations team members who supported the experiment at this difficult time in Japan's history.

I hope that our experiment will light the way toward disaster recovery in Japan

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)