A Flight-Rated Petri Dish Apparatus Providing Two Stage Fluid Injection for Aseptic Biological Investigations in Space

The BRIC-LED (Biological Research In Canisters-Light Emitting Diode) PDFU (Petri Dish Fixation Unit) apparatus was originally developed to support the on-orbit growth and subsequent fixation of any biological material amenable to petri dish culture in space. The PDFU component has been modified to support a two-stage fluid provision option so that investigations can incorporate an initial injection of a biologically active solution followed by a subsequent fixative injection to terminate the experiment in space. Crew-operated actuator tools initiate the delivery of the liquid treatments. Aseptic protocols have been developed which permit the entire experiment to be conducted under sterile conditions.