USED SCIENCE HARDWARE:

• SAMPLE Collection Kit
  including SAMPLE sub-packs to take samples from various surfaces (computers, "walls", "personal cabins", technical equipment, etc.) and from the astronaut.

• SAMPLE Specimen Case
  filled with biological objects.

• KUBIK TOPAZ container, a thermally insulated container (incubator) for stowage of partial samples before the download.

PURPOSES:

• Evaluate microbial species, which might inhabit the ISS.
• Investigate the mechanism of microbial adaptation to micro-gravity.

OBJECTIVES:

• Microbial sampling from the American astronaut and various surfaces on the ISS RS for further strains isolation and investigation of their adhesion abilities
• Exposure of Escherichia coli on ISS RS during VC-9.

EXPERIMENT RESULTS:

Microbial samples taken on the ISS RS, and biological objects which were exposed to microgravity conditions.