Methods for Gravitational Biology Research

Abstract

To study the impact of gravity on living systems on the cellular up to the organismic level, a variety of experimental platforms are available for gravitational biology and biomedical research providing either an almost stimulus-free microgravity environment (near weightlessness) of different duration and boundary conditions. The spectrum of real-microgravity research platforms is complemented by devices which are used to either increase the gravity level (centrifuges) or modify the impact of gravity on biological systems (clinostats and random-positioning machines) the so-called ground-based facilities. Rotating biological samples horizontally or in a two- or three-dimensional mode is often used to randomize the effect of gravity in the attempt to eliminate the gravity effect on sensing mechanisms and gravity-related responses. Sophisticated centrifuges have been designed allowing studies from cells up to humans, either on ground under hypergravity conditions (> 1 g) or in space, where they offer the chance to stepwise increase the acceleration force from 0 g (microgravity) to 1 g or higher and vice versa. In such a way, centrifuges are used to determine threshold values of gravisensitivity and to unravel molecular and cellular mechanisms of gravity sensing and gravity-related responses. By using the whole spectrum of experimental platforms, gravitational biologists gain deep insight into gravity-related biological processes and continuously increase our knowledge of how gravity affects life on Earth.