Macrophages, which belong to the professional phagocytes, are an important part of the innate immune system and eliminate microorganisms and other cells. In this process, macrophages can release so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS) to specifically damage invading cells. The release of ROS can be stimulated in the laboratory and measured using a luminescence assay.
Previous studies show that ROS activity responds ultrafast to weightlessness changes. This shall now be investigated further in a parabolic flight experiment. Therefore, a suitable hardware shall be developed, which respects current safety regulations of such flights.
The work includes:
- cell culture,
- working out the requirements based on tests in the laboratory
- Developing the experiment hardware including testing.
You can expect an interdisciplinary work, which gives insight into an extraordinary and exciting research field.
