May 19, 2005

Nicholas A. Veronico (Michael Mewhinney)
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-1939 or 650/604-9000
E-mail: nveronico@mail.arc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 05_34AR

EQUIPO DE ESTUDIANTES REALIZAR&AACUTE;N INVESTIGACIONES REALES EN LA NASA

MEDIA ADVISORY: On May 23, students from the ‘Centrifu-G’s’ team, as 
well as Jeff Smith lead scientist and assistant chief of the 
Gravitational Research Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, Tom Luzod 
and Tianna Shaw, both lead engineers for the Hyper-G competition, 
will be available for interviews. On May 26, Janice Voss and Jeff 
Smith will be available for interviews at the conclusion of the 
keynote speech. Reporters interested in interviewing the students or 
scientists should call Nick Veronico at 650/604-1939 or 650/793-3967 
to schedule an appointment.

During the week of May 23-27, a team of high school students will have 
a unique opportunity to conduct its own research using one of NASA’s 
state-of-the-art, ground-based hypergravity facilities. 

The team of high school students from Troy, Mich., named the 
‘Centrifu-G’s,’ won the national Hyper-G contest in January. After 
winning the contest, the team has conducted experiments with the help 
of NASA advisors in preparation for its visit to NASA Ames Research 
Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The team will carry out 
research at Ames using the 8-foot centrifuge, a machine that creates 
artificial gravity by spinning. 

“Hypergravity is levels of gravity above one ‘G,’ or greater than 
Earth’s gravity,” said Jeff Smith, assistant chief of the Ames 
Gravitational Research Branch. “NASA researchers conduct hypergravity 
experiments on centrifuges to understand how gravity causes changes 
in humans and other living organisms,” he explained.

Understanding how a particular species changes in hypergravity helps 
scientists predict and better understand how the species may change 
in space or on another planet. This knowledge is essential for the 
successful realization of the Vision for Space Exploration.

Centrifu-G’s team members will study wound healing in the flatworm 
Planaria (genus Dugesia), which has many physiological systems in 
common with human beings. Students hypothesized that flatworms 
exposed to hypergravity will experience a slower rate of 
regeneration.

“Studying the combined processes of wound healing and gravity stress 
in these tiny animals may provide clues as to how wounds will heal in 
space or on the surface of Mars or the moon, where gravity is less,” 
Smith said.

During the students’ visit to Ames, their teacher will help guide them 
through the scientific process, while learning about hands-on methods 
in biology, physics and mathematics as they relate to NASA’s 
exploration biology research. 

In addition, NASA astronaut Janice Voss, a veteran of five space 
flights, will be the keynote speaker at a student team reception on 
May 26.

“We are extremely excited to work with the NASA scientists to conduct 
our experiment. The best part of this entire experience is knowing 
that this will greatly impact the students’ futures, perhaps even 
inspire them to want to pursue space studies,” said Rebecca Johns, 
Centrifu-G team advisor and a biology teacher at Troy High School.

A team of scientists and engineers from NASA has been guiding the 
student team through every step of the experimental process. Experts 
in the field of planarian regeneration from the Forsyth Institute 
Planarian Research Center, Boston, Mass., also have volunteered their 
expertise to help conduct the experiment.

For more information about the Hyper-G competition on the Web, visit:


http://lifesci.arc.nasa.gov


For information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov

	
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