Gravity Free Cell Culture
Introduction
With the budding future of space travel, there is a wide interest in studying the long term effects of weightlessness on the human body. However, the available ways to experiment this are on the costly side. Our product seeks to simulate a micro-gravity environment for human cells for less than $1000. Our system uses magnets to internally levitate the subject cells in order to oppose their gravitational force.
Motivation
Our motivation stems from our curiosity of the unknown and interesting. As engineers, it is our nature to solve a problem with ingenuity and invention. With an entire galaxy waiting to be explored and discovered, we need to research and experiment to see if humans can survive in the harsh environment of the final frontier.
As engineers, we also are taught to make and improve designs with efficiency and low-cost. Instead of consuming a considerable number of resources in order to send a test subject into space with a series of measuring equipment, our solution is to simply create a spacecraft-like environment for a human cell and observe it over time.
Advisor Information
Dr. Anja Kunze | College of Engineering | Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering
Anja Kunze, Ph.D., is the director of Kunze Labs, a Neurology Research Laboratory, in the Chemical and Cell Biology building.
Office: 509 Cobleigh Hall
Tel: 406-994-7172
Email: anja.kunze@montana.edu