The Affects of Micro- and Hyper- Gravity on the Reaction Rates of Enzymes
- Paper number
IAC-07-A1.9.-A2.7.07
- Author
Ms. Tala Smith, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, United States
- Year
2007
- Abstract
We present the results of a study investigating the gravitational affects on the bonding rate of a glucose enzyme-substrate complex. The experiments were conducted as part of NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity Program (RGSFOP). This joint endeavor was comprised of students from both The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte participating in research projects carried out on board NASA’s microgravity research aircraft. The purpose of the experiment was to compare reaction rates between a glucose enzyme and its associated substrate in the 1-g laboratory setting with the same reaction conducted in 0-g (microgravity) and in 2-g (hypergravity). After a comparison of the two in flight experiments with the control samples, we are able to determine that there is no distinguishable difference in the rate of reaction within varying gravitational fields. In addition to the above project an important part of our program is to conduct outreach across NC, with an emphasis on Native American communities. To enhance our outreach program in which we attempt to stimulate an interest in the sciences, a second experiment was performed. Dropping steel balls through a viscous solution is a predictable experiment, but when performed in 0-g, the results are quite different and visually surprising. A video recording of this experiment, as performed on the 0-g aircraft, provides clear evidence of the phenomenon of being weightless. Our future work, the formation of antigen/anti-body complexes and combustion in microgravity, will also be presented.
- Abstract document