CBEF-L: Solutions to technical problems!
The Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) operated in the Japanese Experiment Module, JEM (also known as "Kibo") is a very attractive device for various experiments such as cultivation (rearing) of biological samples (cells, plants and small animals) and research on the effects of space environment factors such as microgravity and radiations on living organisms. CBEF has a centrifuge that generates artificial gravity. This function enables gravity experiments including direct comparison of effects in microgravity with those in Earth gravity in the orbit. Changing the settings for the centrifuge will enable even the gravity on the Moon and on the Mars to be simulated. An issue with CBEF which had not been solved was that when a large-sized sample is subjected to an experiment, the artificial gravity may vary considerably with the position of its part from the rotational center. That was not the case with small samples such as cell and seed.
To solve this issue, an additional experimental area named "Cell Biology Experiment Facility-Left (CBEF-L)" was launched and installed at the location where the Clean Bench (CB) had been located on the SAIBO Rack, to the left of CBEF in September 2019. The operation of CBEF-L was started in the JEM Kibo in 2020.
Improvements by size increase
CBEF-L has a large-sized centrifuge (to generate artificial gravity) more than double the size (in radius) of the centrifuge used in CBEF. The new centrifuge can mitigate gravity differences and rear animals larger than mouse in its enlarged sample receiving space.
Operation styles that meet users' various needs
CBEF-L can be operated in three configurations: Configuration 1, similar to CBEF, consisting of an incubation compartment in microgravity and an incubation compartment equipped with centrifuge which can control gravity, Configuration 2 consisting of two incubation compartments which both are equipped with centrifuges, and Configuration 3 consisting of two incubation compartments from which the partition has been removed to be used as one enlarged compartment equipped with a larger centrifuge. Moreover, CBEF-L can be operated simultaneously with CBEF so that up to four gravity comparison experiments (e.g., in microgravity, Earth gravity, Moon gravity (1/6G) and Mars gravity) can be carried out in parallel. CBEF-L has several improvements after CBEF such as the capabilities for high-definition video images and ethernet communication. These capabilities will probably meet users' needs in various research fields of life science. New extended utilization of the JEM Kibo is expected.
Three Operation Styles of CBEF-L
and artificial gravity
compartments
(Configuration 1)
gravity compartments
(Configuration 2)
artificial gravity compartment
(Configuration 3)
Specifications
| Themes | Designed Specifications | |||
| Configuration 1 or 2 | Configuration 3 | |||
| Cultivation | Number of canisters (standard medium canister) | Compartment 1 | Compartment 2 | Enlarged Compartment |
| 6 or 4 | 4 | Depends on enlarged plate | ||
| conditions control | Temperature setting | 15 to 40℃ (0.1℃ steps) | ||
| Temperature distribution | ±1℃ *Without heat generation in canisters |
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| Humidity setting | 20 to 65%RH (1% steps) | |||
| Humidity distribution | ±10%RH | |||
| CO2 concentration setting | 0 to 10 vol% (0.1 vol% steps) | |||
| Artificial gravity | Gravity generation resource | Centrifugal force | ||
| Gravity settings | 0.1 to 2G (at 112.5 mm from rotational center) Note: Rotational speed setting at 15 to 140 rpm (1 rpm steps) |
0.1 to 2G (at 330 mm from rotational center) Note: Rotational speed setting at 15 to 82 rpm (1 rpm steps) |
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| User interface | Utilities settings |
*1 One line for output outside CBEF |
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| Utilities per connector |
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