I. Proposal Cover Page. Proposal Title: Does the structure of a fairy shrimp change in microgravity?

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1 I. Proposal Cover Page Proposal Title: Does the structure of a fairy shrimp change in microgravity? Grade Level(s) of Submitting Student Team: 5th grade Submitting School: C.W. Dillard Elementary School Submitting School District: Elk Grove Unified School District Submitting Teacher Facilitator: Name: Mike Nelson Position: Teacher grade 5 Address: 9721 Dillard Rd. Wilton, CA Daytime phone: Teacher cell phone: mnelson@egusd.net Proposal Summary: We propose the question does the structure of a fairy shrimp [Branchinecta lindahli] change in microgravity? Our team is wondering if fairy shrimp will change if it is grown in microgravity. We want to know if the structure of a fairy shrimp will be normal or will it be deformed. We are planning to use fairy shrimp cysts. Since the structure of a fairy shrimp on Earth is made for gravity we are questioning if the structure of the fairy shrimp grown in space will be weaker than of those of Earth. Our hypothesis is that the fairy shrimp grown on earth is going to be stronger and bigger than the fairy shrimp grown in space. Since there is no gravity in space the fairy shrimp won't have to use their body as much and won t build up muscles. If fairy shrimp grows and matures normally then other invertebrates can grow normally and some of those invertebrates we can eat. In the end we will look for abnormalities in the fairy shrimp grown in space. Pg. 1

2 II. Student Team Members Co-Principal Investigators : Name: Dulcemaria Rodriguez Grade level: 5th grade Name: Josue Escobar Grade level: 5th grade Name: Mason Maroney Grade level: 5th grade Name: Sean Rowing Grade level: 5th grade Pg. 2

3 III. Experiment Materials and Handling Requirements Pages 1. Fluids Mixing Enclosure (FME) Type Proposed to be Used (check one): Type 1 FME (1 experiment volume: no clamps used) Type 2 FME (2 experiment volumes: one clamp used) Type 3 FME (3 experiment volumes: two clamps used) 2. List of proposed experiment samples ( Fluids and Solids to be used) Volume 1 : Fairy shrimp cysts (Branchinecta lindahli), 0.7 cubic centimeters of space Volume 2 : 5.7 ml of Arrowhead Spring Water with a ph of 6.83 (optimal ph for fairy shrimp ) with 1 4 mgs of spirulina algae mixture. Volume 3 : 2.0 ml of a 10% neutral buffered formalin solution ph of Experiment volume solutions: ph volume 1: n/a, solid sample ph volume 2: ph 6.83 Arrowhead Spring Water (Source: Alkaline Water Plus) ph volume 3: ph neutral, distilled water Pg. 3

4 Are any of the proposed samples human in origin? (check one): Yes x No 3. Special Handling Requirements During Transportation: хyes No Thermal Control Requirements: Refrigeration Preflight Shipping form Community to NanoRacks X At NanoRacks until Handover to NASA X Flight Handover to NASA Until Arrival at ISS X Onboard ISS Ambient Conditions X Postflight From ISS until Arrival at Nanoracks X At NanoRacks through Return to Community X 4. Provide Below Your Proposed Timeline of Crew Interactions. 1. A=0 No interaction 2. A+ 2 No interaction 3. U-14 Unclamp clamp A Shake gently for 5 seconds 4. U-5 No interaction 5. U-2 Unclamp clamp B Shake gently for 10 seconds Pg.4

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6 IV. The Question to be Addressed by the Experiment The question we want to study is if the structure and the development of a fairy shrimp is changed in microgravity. We hypothesize that the body of a fairy shrimp is going to be weaker or different, because it doesn't have to use its muscles as much, but we want to know if the body changes in a microgravity environment. We know that everything on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity. We believe that the FME on Earth, and its contents, are affected by gravity. However, the FME on the ISS is in a microgravity environment, and we want to know if the microgravity environment affects the growth and development of the fairy shrimp. Fairy shrimp are small crustaceans that are related to crabs, lobsters, and krill. They have delicate elongated bodies, no carapace, stalked elongated eyes, and eleven pairs of legs for swimming. They swim upside down as their legs move in a wavelike motion. The legs serve three functions: swimming, gathering food for eating, and breathing. One of their primary foods is algae. (UC Merced doc.) The life cycle of a fairy shrimp is simple. The dry cysts sit at the bottom of dry vernal pools and wait for water. When the pools fill up with water they hatch. This baby shrimp grows quickly and reaches adulthood for mating in one to three weeks. (UC Merced doc. SPLASH Center doc.) We are predicting that the heart may develop differently on the ISS and not be as muscular because of the lack of gravity. Also, because the heart does not need to pump as hard as it would have to do on earth we think the heart may be smaller or less developed. We also believe that other muscles in the fairy shrimp will be much smaller and less efficient. We still don t know everything about how a fairy shrimp might change, so this leads back to the question: how does the body of a fairy shrimp change in microgravity? We looked at what happens to people in space, and that gives us some idea as to what may happen to our fairy shrimp. In the article, How Zero Gravity Affects Astronauts Hearts In Space they have found that when astronauts spend long periods of time in space, their hearts don t have to pump as hard because they are just floating around all the time. Also, while the astronauts are in space, the heart doesn t work as hard which can cause a loss of muscle mass. If this is true for human beings in microgravity, then maybe fairy shrimp that hatch and grow in a microgravity environment will develop the same problems. We also looked at an article form the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. The article, The Body In Space describes how bodies become brittle and weak in space. The bones of astronauts are weak and brittle because the bones don t have a load to carry. We are wondering if the body structure of the Branchinecta lindahli { fairy shrimp} is going to be affected by the microgravity environment. We believe that fairy shrimp hatched and grown in space are going to develop differently. We even thought about a child born in a microgravity environment, and then returned to Earth. Will that child have to deal with serious problems? Pg. 5

7 In conclusion, we will learn how the fairy shrimp changes and develops in microgravity by comparing it to the fairy shrimp we hatch on Earth. LIFE CYCLE OF A FAIRY SHRIMP V. Experiment Design Experiment Rational: The proposed experiment is examining if microgravity will change the body of a fairy shrimp. We will be looking for and distinctions in the size or structure of the fairy shrimp grown in microgravity compared to those on earth. The distinctions we are looking for relay in the bones and muscles of the fairy shrimp and how they will develop. If this invertebrate can grow healthy then that means other invertebrates will grow the same way. Our team is investigating if the fairy shrimps will grow healthy or die in microgravity. It is important to know how invertebrates and mammals can grow in microgravity because that means we could grow other mammal and invertebrates in space. This will also tell us how other bones and muscles develop in space. We believe that the fairy shrimp will have physical abnormalities, but grow healthy. Experiment materials: In volume 1 we have fairy shrimp (supplied by SPLASH Center, Mather Field) within 0.7 cubic centimeters of space. In volume 2 we have 5.7 millimeters of Arrowhead Spring Water with 1 4 mgs of spirulina algae (Nutrex Hawaii Spirulina Algae Powder). In volume 3, we have 2.0 milliliters of a 10 % neutral buffered formalin [NBF] solution. (UC Davis Lab) Pg. 6

8 Experiment procedure: While in the space station and 14 days prior to undocking, the astronauts will unclamp clamp A, causing the fairy shrimp cysts to be mixed with the spring water. This should initiate the growing process of the fairy shrimp. During the 12 day period the fairy shrimp cysts will hatch and will mature for a limited time. Fairy shrimp reach maturity at days. It is important to kill them before they mature because they will mate and lay new cysts. Then, 2 days prior to undocking the astronauts will unclamp clamp B and kill the fairy shrimp with a 10 % solution of neutral buffered formalin [NBF]. These are the materials we are planning to use. Ground Element: On Earth we will do our experiment in a controlled temperature environment during the shipping process and then at the same temperature of the ISS. While the astronauts are doing the procedure on the ISS we will be doing it at the exact same time with the same materials. On day U-14 we will unclamp clamp A to start the growing process, doing this will mix the fairy shrimp with the food and spring water. During the 12 day period we will not be doing anything with the FME tube it will sit in the controlled environment as it will do on the ISS. At U-2 days until the experiment goes back to Earth we will unclamp clamp B which has the same fixative we are using on the ISS, allowing us to kill and preserve the fairy before they mature. When specimens have been returned to Earth: 1. We will have access to several types of microscopes, Sheldon High School and UC Davis Labs. Using the appropriate microscope, we will count and record the number of fairy shrimp that have hatched on the ISS and on Earth. 2. Using the appropriate microscope, we will visually compare and record the sizes of both fairy shrimp FME s to find if the ISS fairy shrimps are bigger or smaller than the fairy shrimps grown on Earth by measuring in millimeters. 3. Using the appropriate tools and microscopes we will measure and record the length and width of the fairy shrimp. 4. Using the appropriate microscope, we will look at and compare the sizes of various fairy shrimp organs and determine if the ISS fairy shrimp have smaller body parts than the fairy shrimp grown on Earth. 5. We will chart and graph the fairy shrimps length and width, also chart how many ISS fairy shrimp hatched compared to the fairy shrimp grown on earth. VI. List of Reference Publications Merced Vernal Pools & Grasslands UC Merced Publication, 2016 Analyzing & Comparing Brands of Bottled Water, Alkaline Water Plus, 2008 The Body in Space National Space Biomedical Research Institute, undated article Pg. 7

9 Lewis, Tanya How Zero Gravity Affect s Astronauts Hearts in Space 2014 Life Cycle of a Fairy Shrimp SPLASH Center, Mather Field, CA Pg. 8