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Spaceflight Exploration in Plant Gravitational Biology

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Plant Gravitropism

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1309))

Abstract

Before there was access to space, all experiments on plant tropisms were conducted upon the background of gravity. The gravity vector could be disrupted, such as with clinorotation and random positioning machines, and by manipulating incident angles of root growth with respect to gravity, such as with Darwin’s plants on slanted plates, but gravity could not be removed from the experimental equation. Access to microgravity through spaceflight has opened new doors to plant research. Here we provide an overview of some of the methodologies of conducting plant research in the unique spaceflight environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Anna-Lisa Paul

  2. Department of Horticultural Sciences, Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Robert J. Ferl

Authors
  1. Anna-Lisa Paul
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  2. Robert J. Ferl
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Correspondence to Robert J. Ferl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Inc., Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA

    Elison B. Blancaflor

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Paul, AL., Ferl, R.J. (2015). Spaceflight Exploration in Plant Gravitational Biology. In: Blancaflor, E. (eds) Plant Gravitropism. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1309. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2697-8_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2697-8_20

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2696-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2697-8

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