Mars Astrobiology: Recent Status and Progress - Planetary Exploration and Science: Recent Results and Advances - page 230

One of the science objectives of the EMCS and the BioLab is the provision of a
long-term study of growth and early development stability of biological samples.
The EMCS and the BioLab are, respectively, automated and semi-automated
hardware. Following it is a brief description of these two hardwares:
EMCS
The EMCS is basically composed by an incubator, an atmospheric control system
of the incubator, and two centrifuges inside it both equipped with interfaces to
four experiment containers each. The incubator has a thermal control system which
provides selectable temperature range between C 18 and C 40 ı C, which smaller
value can be decreased to below 0 ı C by a small modification of the electrical set-
tings. The two centrifuges with diameter of 600 mm and variable gravity conditions
(0.00 gupto2 g) are located inside the incubator. The following components can
be accommodated in each centrifuge: four experiment containers, four life support
system modules, two movable video cameras, and four movable mirrors for internal
observations. The internal volume of EMCS available for experiment hardware and
specimens is 0.58 l; the height is 160 mm. Liquids, nutrients, humidity, pressure,
gas, and light systems are efficiently controlled. Electrical and data systems are
simple and efficient.
BioLab
The BioLab is a single-rack multiuser science payload designed for use in the
Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS). BioLab supports
biological research on small plants, small invertebrates, microorganisms, animal
cells, and tissue cultures. It includes an incubator equipped with centrifuges in
which the preceding experimental subjects can be subjected to controlled levels of
accelerations. These experiments help to identify the role that microgravity plays at
all levels of an organism, from the effects on a single cell up to a complex organism
including humans.
The BioLab is basically composed by two sections: automatic and manual. The
automatic section allows performance of the experiments after manual loading by
the crew. It is composed by an incubator, two centrifuges inside it, a robotic handling
mechanism, and an automatic temperature-controlled stowage which can handle
samples within temperatures ranging from 20 to C 10 ı C, an automatic ambient
stowage, and analysis instruments.
The incubator has a thermal control system which provides selectable tempera-
ture range between C 18 and C 40 ı C, in which smaller value can be decreased to
below 0 ı C by a small modification of the electrical settings. The two centrifuges
with a diameter of 600 mm and variable gravity conditions (0.001 gupto2 g)
are located inside the incubator. The manual section is mainly devoted to experiment
control and the storage of biological samples such as for photosynthetic life growth.
It is equipped with the following units: temperature-controlled units, with
temperatures ranging from 20 to C 10 ı C, a BioGloveBox, a crew commanding