ADVANCED PLANT EXPERIMENT - CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY 2 (APEX-CSA2)
Research Area Plant Biology
Expeditions 23- 24
Principal investigator(s): ● Jean Beaulieu, PhD, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian
Wood Fibre Centre, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Advanced Plant Experiment - Canadian
Space Agency 2 (APEX-CSA2) investigation
examines white spruce, Picea glauca, to
understand the influence of gravity on plant
physiology, growth, and on the genetics of
wood formation.EARTH BENEFITS
Gravitational pull influences the quality of
wood that is produced by the tree. Depending
on their composition, some types of wood are
not appropriate for specific industrial
applications. By growing trees in
weightlessness, the investigator identifies
candidate genes involved in the production of
these different types of wood. These candidate genes are used to select trees that produce the
wood of interest for different industrial applications. These trees are used in breeding and
reforestation programs in Canada, with the aim of improving industrial competitiveness and
forest sustainability.
SPACE BENEFITS
The experiment defines the best growth conditions for trees using the Advanced Biological
Research System habitat and opens the way to more basic plant research in the space
environment, as well as better biological life support systems to sustain human presence in
space.
RESULTS
At the end of the experiment, the leading shoot from 3 plantlets from each line tested was
collected and fixed in a RNA stabilization solution. The expression levels for 27 candidate genes
and 3 reference genes were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction
(qRT-PCR) on the 9 seedlings grown at 0 g and 1 g. While close to 20 genes displayed some up-
regulation in microgravity conditions, only 3 genes showed statistically significant up-regulation
at 0 g. The function of these 3 genes was linked to crucial processes such as cell propagation,
development, and response to stress, and their up-regulation is very likely to influence seedling
growth patterns in microgravity. Further analysis of plant tissues clearly demonstrated an
increase in leaf growth as compared to ground-based plants, with needles less inclined towards
ISS023E036876 – NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer,
Expedition 23 flight engineer, services the Advanced
Plant Experiments - Canadian Space Agency 2
experiment in the Destiny laboratory of the
International Space Station.