Baby Bloodsuckers in Outer Space

Principal Investigators:Julia Ellis, Kasia Kaputska, Gia LaSalle, Bianca Urbina, Lilyana Walsh

6/15/14

2014 SSEP National Conference, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, July 2-3, 2014

Question and Answer (?)

• Will microgravity prevent Aedes albopictus mosquitoes from developing into pupae?• Probably. • Mosquito larvae float to the surface to

breathe and mature into pupae.• Without gravity, they lack a mechanism

to float and so cannot breathe.

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Mosquito Life Cycle

Hatching = 1 to 3 days

Turning into pupae = 5 to 10 days

Turning into an adult = 2 days

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Mosquitoes larvae breathing

Experimental Overview

• Volume 1 includes: dry mosquito eggs and nutrients (brewer’s yeast and lab chow).

• Volume 2 includes: water and air.• Volume 3 includes: fixative (10% neutral buffered

formalin).• Preliminary experiments will be done to determine the

proper amounts for all substances.

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Experimental Overview

• At launch, eggs will be dry.• When Clamp A is released, water will activate

development. • Experiment will continue 9 days.• Then astronauts will release Clamp B to stop

development and fix mosquitoes when they should have matured into pupae.

• Compare results to ground truth experiment.

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Who Cares?

• Mosquitoes can serve as food stock for crayfish and tilapia. In turn we can eat crayfish and tilapia.• In a journey to the stars, the astronauts

might enjoy a break from dehydrated food. • (Besides, it’s cool. Mosquitoes in outer

space seem rad.)

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What’s it going to look like?

• It’s hard to envision a test tube of half water and half air in outer space• No up, down or sideways.

• We think surface tension with the test tube will draw the water to the outside with the air stuck in the middle. Kind of like a water straw.

• But unless the astronauts tell us, we won’t know for sure

7Cooke, Rosa-lee. "Lesson 10: Properties of Water." Lesson 10: Properties of

Water. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2014.

Potential Confounders

• Post Offices radiate packages. May kill all mosquitoes.• Potential solution: ship via Fed Ex.

• Baker’s yeast consumes oxygen when exposed to water. That could deplete from the volume 2, suffocating all mosquitoes.• Potential solution: use brewer’s yeast and keep it dry with the eggs

Volume 1.• Number of mosquitoes limited by amount of air. • Potential solution: increase Volume 2 by limiting amount of

formalin in Volume 3.• Unknown unknowns.

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The following Parent Teacher Organizations:• Governor Livingston• Columbia Middle School• Thomas P. Hughes Elementary

School• Mountain Park School• William Woodruff • Mary Kay McMillin

Special thanks to Professor of Biology, Livdahl of Clark University,Worcester, MA for eggs, nutrients and special guidance.

Program coordinators:• Jim Flakker• Susan

Rembetsy

Teacher Facilitator:Pamela Wilczynski

Any Questions?10