Standard Preparation of Arabidopsis thaliana for a Spaceflight Experiment

ASOP-0010 Version 1

Table of Contents

1.0: Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to provide guidance on a standard workflow for preparing Arabidopsis thaliana for a spaceflight experiment.

2.0: Safety

Standard laboratory personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn when executing this technique.  Refer to Material Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for hazards and appropriate handling precautions.  Refer to each ASOP standard’s instructions for safety regarding each method.

3.0: Definitions and Acronyms

  • ASOP: Astrobotany Standard Operating Procedure
  • A. thaliana: Shorthand for Arabidopsis thaliana

4.0: Materials

Refer to each ASOP standard’s instructions for materials required to execute each method.

5.0: Equipment

Refer to each ASOP standard’s instructions for equipment required to execute each method.

6.0: Procedure

  1. Prepare “space media” gel agar plates per ASOP-0003: Making Space Media.
  2. Sterilize on-test A. thaliana seeds using ASOP-0001: Ethanol Seed Sterilization or ASOP-0002: Vapor Phase Seed Sterilization depending on assay requirements.  The cost of spaceflight experiments is high- and contamination can ruin an experiment, so extra care should be taken to keep samples and materials as sterile as possible throughout this workflow.
  3. Sow the sterilized on-test A. thaliana samples prepared in step 6.2 onto the space media plates prepared in step 6.1 using the instructions in ASOP-0008: Sowing Tiny Seeds on Media.
  4. Irradiate the seeds on the plates prepared in step 6.3 using ASOP-0005: Delaying Germination of Seeds Using Far-Red Light.
  5. The A. thaliana seeds should now be kept dormant until they are deliberately exposed to light again at the experiment start in a spaceflight environment.

7.0: References

Version History

  • Version 1 | Description: ASOP-0010 page created. | Effective: 07Aug2023
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