Student Spaceflight Experiments Program
The Reishi Mushroom VS E. coli and
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
"Science walks on the shoulders of the giants that came before us."
Tommy Conn
Special thanks to:
Dr. Racquel CollinsUnderwood,
MT (ASCP), PhD
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
scientist mentors multiple STEM student
research teams at Fayette Academy.
Our Research Team
Principal Investigator: Mark Montague
Co-Investigators: Averi Davis, Tucker Whittington, and Harley Wade
Research Question
What effect will microgravity
have on the Reishi
mushroom’s (Ganoderma
lucidum) ability to weaken,
damage, or destroy cells?
Will the E. coli cell reaction
in microgravity match the
reaction of the leukemia cell
to the Reishi mushroom on
Earth?
We learned about
current research at St.
Jude Children's
Research Hospital.
Leukemia is our
primary focus.
Chronic Myeloid
Leukemia
Hypothesis
We believe the Reishi mushroom will induce cell
arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. However, we
will use E. coli, an alternative bacterial model
organism, that will approximate the uncontrolled
growth of leukemia cells. The benefits of utilizing
bacterial cultures in place of human leukemia cells
include the ability to precisely initiate and terminate
cell growth, and the ability of these cells to grow in
the ambient conditions aboard the ISS (Conant).
E. coli
The Reishi
Mushroom
This fungi has been used in
Chinese medicine for
thousands of years with no
negative side effects.
Reishi Mushroom
Reishi, from Nature’s Pharmacy
o
Allergies
o
Heart disease
o
Arthritis
o
Hepatitis
o
Cancer
o
High blood pressure
o
Depression
o
Insominia
o
Diabetes
o
Parkinson’s disease
Known as the "King of Herbs"
“The Japanese government
officially lists Reishi
mushroom as a cancer
treatment.”
Mini-Labratory Headed to ISS: Tube 1
Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5 cells per
bead)
Volume 2 – 1.5 g of powdered Reishi mushroom
mixed with 3 mL nutrient broth
Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth
inhibitor and preservative
Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 2
Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5)
Volume 2 – 1.5 g of powdered Reishi mushroom
mixed with 3 mL nutrient broth
Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth
inhibitor and preservative
Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 3
(control)
Volume 1 – 1 E. coli BactoBead™ (10^5)
Volume 2 – 3 mL nutrient broth
Volume 3 – 3mL of 10% formalin, cell growth
inhibitor and preservative
Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 4
Volume 1 – 2 mL K562 chronic myeloid
leukemia cells in Bovine Broth
Volume 2 – 1.5 g of Reishi mushroom in 1 mL of
Bovine Broth
Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth
inhibitor and preservative
Mini-Labratory Ground Element: Tube 5
(control)
Volume 1 – 3 mL of K562 chronic myeloid
leukemia in nutrient broth (Bovine
blood/serum)
Volume 2 – empty
Volume 3 – 3 mL of 10% formalin, cell growth
inhibitor and preservative
Spectrophotometer
Quantitative Data
Collection
Absorbance
Transmittance
Spectrophotometer
Data Chart
FME 1
ISS Reishi E. coli
FME 2
Ground Reishi E. coli
FME 3
Control E. coli
FME 4
Leukemia Reishi
FME 5
Leukemia Control
Absorbance
Transmission
We will use the stain
Trypan blue to identify
cell membrane
damage. We will take
photographs of 3
fields of view of each
FME tube.
Chronic Myeloid
Leukemia
SSEP Celebration
“The world is full of magical
things patiently waiting for our
wits to grow sharper.”
–Unknown
Works Cited
"Benefits & Side Effects of Reishi Mushrooms." LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 May 2014.
"Find a Vitamin or Supplement REISHI MUSHROOM." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 02 June
2014.
"How to Protect Your Child from the Bacterium E. Coli."
Http://criandocriancas.blogspot.com/2011/06/como-proteger-seu-filho-dabacteria-e.html. Web. 27 May 2014.
"Immortal Mushrooms of Asia." Weblog post. Metafreedom. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
"Leukemia, Myeloid(Granulocytic Leukemia; Leukemia, Granulocytic; Leukemia,
Myelocytic; Leukemia, Myelogenous; Myelogenous Leukemia; Myeloid
Leukemia; Myelocytic Leukemia)." Leukemia, Myeloid; Granulocytic Leukemia;
Leukemia, Granulocytic; Leukemia, Myelocytic; Leukemia, Myelogenous;
Myelogenous Leukemia; Myeloid Leukemia; Myelocytic Leukemia. Web. 02 June
2014.
"Mushroom Wisdom Super Reishi Mushroom Elixir of Immortality." Mushroom Wisdom.
Super Reishi Mushroom Elixir of Immortality. Web. 06 May 2014.
"Reishi Mushroom Powder - Natures Happiness | Non-GMO Superfoods & Supplements."
Natures Happiness NonGMO Superfoods Supplements. Web. 20 May 2014.
"Reishi Mushrooms." Benefits & Information. Web. 02 June 2014.
"Reishi Mushrooms: Herbal Medicine for Thousands of Years." Reishi Mushrooms: Herbal
Medicine for Thousands of Years. Web. 02 June 2014.
"Welcome to Herbwisdom." Herb Information, Benefits, Discussion and News. Web. 15 Feb.
2014.