Designing and 3D Printing a 3D Clinostat to Simulate Microgravity

Overview

LSUHSC-Shreveport. Sending experiments to the International Space Station is expensive and very limiting, therefore 2D or 3D clinostats are used to simulate microgravity in research labs. Both machines are designed around the concept of continuously altering the specimen’s orientation; however, the 3D clinostat utilizes rotation on two axes, while the 2D clinostat only rotates about one axis. The 3D clinostat provides the best simulation of microgravity for experiments using human cells, the majority of which grow attached to surfaces. However, 3D clinostats are $65 - 75,000 and cost prohibitive for many research labs. The aim of this project was to build a 3D clinostat that costs less than $1000. The 3D clinostat was designed in Fusion360 and its components were printed on a LulzBot TAZ 6 desktop 3D printer. The 3D clinostat has inner and outer rings mounted on a stand and each ring is turned independently by a motor. Both motors are operated by a program through a microcontroller, and a sample holder can accommodate 2 cell culture flasks inside the inner ring. The system was calibrated and tested using an accelerometer, temperature sensor, and Raspberry Pi Zero. After optimization, the clinostat was able to simulate 0.05G. After the testing phase, the impact of simulated microgravity was examined on damage to differentiated neuroblastoma cells, a model for human neuronal cells. Simulated microgravity caused a 20% reduction in DNA double strand breaks. Future experiments will probe whether increased DNA repair or decreased damage induction is the reason for the reduction in damage.

Competition history

• JSHS 2020 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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