Laboratory Design
Updates to lab design following the major revision of the habitat design on October 24 will be posted here soon. Our basic equipment needs will likely remain the same.
Updates to lab design as of October 1, after examination of proposed habitat design.
If we are to share our lab with the earth science team, which we understand may be necessary due to space constraints, we stress that we will need a system of contamination control so as to protect our experiments from outside interference. We understand our lab staff may be reduced because of space constraints. We plan to work with other teams to determine the optimal crew distribution for Atlantis II.
These are our current ideas for the biology lab onboard Atlantis II as of September 28.
Lab Staff -- 4 scientists, including one MD, working alternating shifts to achieve maximum lab-use efficiency. Red light only withing the lab space, in order to avoid damaging light sensitive organisms brought into the lab from the surrounding environment. Modular lab design -- we propose that the majority of our lab equipment be contained in portable modules that can be interchanged as experiment require. This will create greater flexibility in the long term uses of the lab, and allow for diverse experiments to be carried out in the small spaces demanded by the constraints of the environment. We request a 10x10 foot square lab space. Though we understand this may require modification upon consultation with other teams, this is our ideal spatial setup. An internally accesible, external storage unit for organisms collected from the vent site. By storing the organisms externally, we will reduce the need for recreating the pressure, tempearature, and light conditions of the abyssal zone inside the lab. Other lab equipment: light microscopes incubators oven computers fume hood (still unsure how "bad" air will be disposed of) centrifuge hot plate DNA-running equipment petri dishes, beakers, graduated cylinders, etc.
Back to Vent 1 Home